China vessels swarm Panatag anew — PCG

Chinese vessels — including a warship — were again seen swarming around Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported yesterday.

- GHIO ONG

An air patrol over the area by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) revealed the presence of five China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, according to Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman on West Philippine Sea issues.

Four Chinese maritime militia ships were detected at distances of 2.7 nautical miles and 8.69 nautical miles, both southeast from the area considered as a traditional fishing area of Filipinos.

In addition, there was a warship of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA)-Navy with bow number 574 seen around 25 nautical miles southeast of Panatag Shoal.

At an online briefing, Tarriela also reported that PCG patrol vessels BRP Bagacay and BRP Cabra, four BFAR ships and 26 Filipino fishing boats were also around Panatag.

The two PCG vessels kept distance of 13 nautical miles southwest of Panatag, he noted.

“The reason why we kept such a distance was because the PCG and BFAR vessels stopped at that position to give away fuel subsidy and food items to the Filipino fishing boats,” according to Tarriela.

The information gathered by the BFAR in its air patrol was contrary to a post on X by former US Air Force official and defense attaché Ray Powell that “BRP Bagacay & BRP Datu Pagbuaya have been intercepted by 2 China Coast Guard as a third & 6 maritime militia ships set up blocking positions.”