PCG sends ship, 2 aircraft to challenge ‘The Monster’
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) sent one of its patrol ships and two aircraft to monitor China’s biggest coast guard ship after it was spotted off the coast of Zambales province on Saturday.
Dubbed “The Monster,” China Coast Guard (CCG) Vessel 5901 was sighted 100 kilometers (54 nautical miles) from Capones Island through Canada’s Dark Vessel Detection system, Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said in a statement he sent to reporters on Saturday night.
This prompted the PCG to deploy its BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409), along with a helicopter and Caravan aircraft, to verify the incursion and assert their presence, he added.
“The PCG vessel and aircraft continuously challenged the presence of the Chinese coast guard, emphasizing that it was operating within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in accordance with the Philippine Maritime Zones Law and Unclos,” Tarriela said, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
As of Sunday, the Chinese vessel was approximately 120 to 130 km (65 to 70 nautical miles) from Zambales while the BRP Cabra kept watch.
“The PCG remains committed to closely monitoring this Chinese coast guard vessel to ensure that Filipino fishermen can operate safely and without harassment within our exclusive economic zone,” Tarriela said.
“The Monster” is also the world’s largest coast guard vessel at 12,000 tons. It arrived near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal on Jan. 1 to boost Beijing’s control over the maritime area, according to Ray Powell, director of the SeaLight project at Stanford University who tracks South China Sea activities through satellite imaging. Three other CCG ships and seven maritime militia vessels were also at the shoal.
Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc lies 222 km (120 nautical miles) from the mainland west of Luzon, well within the country’s EEZ.
Called Huangyan Dao by China, it is nearly 926 km (500 nautical miles) from the nearest major Chinese landmass of Hainan.
Beijing took hold of the shoal in 2012 after a two-month standoff with the Philippine Navy, prompting Manila to file a case against China before an international arbitral tribunal the following year.
The court ruled in 2016 that Beijing’s so-called nine-dash-line claim had no basis under international law.
Frequent incursions
This is not the first time “The Monster” has been spotted within the country’s EEZ. In May, it was seen 93 km (50 nautical miles) off Panatag which, according to Powell, was part of China’s attempt to “normalize” its presence and jurisdiction in these waters.
From June 17 until it exited the country’s EEZ 10 days later, the Chinese ship passed near 12 of the Philippines’ maritime features while occasionally providing supplies to Chinese vessels it encountered along the way.
On June 24, it was spotted near the BRP Sierra Madre which serves as the Philippines’ military outpost in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.
The next day, it passed by El Nido, Palawan province, maintaining a close distance of 63 km (34 nautical miles) from the coastline.
It left the country’s EEZ on June 27 only to return the following month. On July 3, Powell told the Inquirer the ship was spotted off Ayungin Shoal and was on its way to Panganiban (Mischief) Reef.
The incident took place amid ongoing talks between Manila and Beijing.
The BRP Teresa Magbanua reportedly issued a radio challenge against the vessel on the afternoon of its arrival, an hour before it anchored at Escoda (Sabina) Shoal at 6 p.m.
‘Going dark’
On July 31, the ship turned off its automatic identification system (AIS), making it harder to trace and monitor its movements, including for Powell. When asked why the ship turns off its AIS, Powell told the Inquirer that it was “hard to say,” as “it does go dark from time to time.”
On Aug. 10, the ship left Escoda Shoal’s vicinity after anchoring there for more than a month.
Tarriela, however, reported that it was replaced by a 135-meter CCG vessel with hull No. 5903. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH