PCG suspects Chinese vessel surveying Batanes

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) revealed Monday, April 7, that it has been monitoring a Chinese research vessel off Batanes which it suspected of surveying the northern island close to Taiwan for five days already.

- By MARTIN SADONGDONG and DHEL NAZARIO

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS), said research vessel "Zhong Shan Da Xue" was spotted off Batanes' waters using a dark vessel detection program from the Canadian government. It measures an overall length of 114 meters and a tonnage of 2,300 tons.

The research vessel departed Guangdong province on March 31 and entered the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) up north around 9 p.m. on April 2.

As of 7 a.m. on April 7, the research vessel was located at approximately 103.86 nautical miles from Itbayat, Batanes.

"Since then, it stayed within our own exclusive economic zone which is seemingly conducting maritime scientific research because of its consistent patterns of navigation," Tarriela said, noting that the vessel has been taking an unusual route pattern formed like an inverted "D", which is "not continuous and expeditious." "As far as we know, the Chinese government does not have any clearance or authority to conduct such marine scientific research within our own exclusive economic zone up north," he added.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and Republic Act No. 12065 or the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, a foreign vessel that intends to conduct a scientific research in the Philippines' maritime zones, including its EEZ and continental shelf, should first obtain a prior consent from the Philippine government, and the research should benefit the Filipino people.

PCG Commandant, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan ordered the deployment of a Coast Guard aircraft to challenge the research vessel and document its "unlawful" activity. A PCG vessel will also be mobilized to shadow the research vessel until it leaves the country's waters.