PCG clarifies Navy report: ‘Monster’ still at Escoda Shoal

PCG

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday said China’s largest coast guard vessel had not yet left Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) where it dropped anchor on July 3, contrary to an earlier statement from the Philippine Navy.

“As of 7:30 in the morning (today), the last image that I got from our coast guard personnel from MRRV 9701 (showed that) the China Coast Guard (CCG) monster ship remains to be inside the Escoda Shoal. It has not departed and is still anchored there,” said Commodore Jay Tarriela, the PCG spokesperson on the WPS.

Tarriela made the clarification at a news forum in Manila a day after the supposed departure of CCG vessel 5901 was reported by Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, his Navy counterpart.

This means the CCG vessel, dubbed “The Monster” for also being the largest coast guard ship in the world, has remained in the area within the country’s exclusive economic zone for the past two weeks.

Tarriela said the Chinese ship was last reported to be about 580 meters away from the PCG’s BRP Teresa Magbanua, the vessel also referred to as MRRV 9701.

Powell explanation

US maritime security expert Ray Powell, who tracks Chinese activities in the WPS through satellite images, said on Wednesday that the “confusion over the location” of CCG 5901 was “likely due to the fact that it moved outside of Sabina (Escoda) Shoal for 3 days, from 12-15 July.”

CCG MONSTER SHIP / JULY 17, 2024 As of 7:36am this morning, BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) remained to monitor the presence of the Chinese Coast Guard monster ship, CCGV-5901, which was anchored near Escoda shoal. The CCGV 5901 was approximately 638 yards away from the port quarter of the MRRV-9701. PHOTO FROM PCG.

“For most of that time it remained just to the northeast, except for a brief patrol to the south on the 15th,” Powell said in a post on X.

He noted that two maritime militia ships that earlier accompanied CCG 5901 went to another WPS feature, the Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, during the period.Elevated waves

“The most likely explanation for their temporary departure would appear to be sea state. Wave heights were elevated during that period so the ships likely moved to safer locations as a precaution,” he said.

Tarriela also said the PCG sent the BRP Melchora Aquino to monitor a second Chinese vessel, CCG 5303, which left the vicinity of Lubang Island northwest of Mindoro province and “was moving away towards Palawan.’’

“The same thing, the usual, whenever you challenge them (by radio) they are also going to challenge our presence. So far, we haven’t gotten any tangible response,” he added.