China deploys another vessel near Zambales

The China Coast Guard (CCG) sustained its presence in the West Philippine Sea miles away from the shores of Zambales province, with a new patrol ship replacing another vessel and its "monster ship" almost 20 nautical miles away from Panatag or Scarborough Shoal, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela reported.

- GHIO ONG

The 77.7-meter CCG patrol ship with bow number 3103 took over the position of CCG vessel with bow number 3304 with a length of 111 meters, he said in a statement last Jan. 21.

Personnel onboard PCG’s 44-meter patrol vessel BRP Suluan flagged CCG 3103 that was spotted 65 nautical miles off the coast of San Antonio, Zambales, according to a video shared to journalists by Tarriela, PCG’s spokesman on West Philippine Sea issues. Suluan replaced BRP Gabriela Silang which patrolled the area since Jan. 15.

As usual, the PCG through Suluan sent radio challenges to CCG 3103 – which was also done to CCG 3304 and the “monster ship” 165-meter CCG 5901 – notifying it of violating Republic Act 12064 or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 arbitral award that upheld the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

BRP Suluan also detected the three CCG ships within the West Philippine Sea, according to Tarriela.