MANILA, Philippines, February 3 ------ The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has detected two China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels approximately 34 nautical miles off the coast of Pangasinan, raising concerns over the continued presence of foreign vessels within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
PCG spokesman on the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela confirmed the sighting yesterday, reporting that the foreign vessels were detected through the Dark Vessel Detection program. In response, PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan ordered the deployment of the PCG Islander aircraft to visually identify and challenge the vessels. At around 9:30 a.m., the PCG aircraft confirmed the presence of the CCG vessels, identified by bow numbers 3301 and 3104. “To the China Coast Guard vessel transmitting west. Under Republic Act 12064 and the 2016 Arbitral Award under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), you do not have the authority to patrol within the Philippine EEZ. You are directed to depart immediately and notify us of your intentions as soon as possible,” the PCG announced over the radio.
Despite the radio challenge issued by the PCG, the Chinese vessels did not respond. Two PCG ships, BRP Cabra and BRP Bagacay, have been dispatched to Bolinao, Pangasinan, to reinforce the country’s position against what it describes as the illegal and routine incursions of China in Philippine waters. The PCG reiterated its commitment to safeguarding Philippine maritime interests in line with the policy direction of President Marcos and international maritime law. Meanwhile, in a separate operation, the PCG’s BRP Teresa Magbanua successfully drove away China Coast Guard vessel CCG-3304 from the Zambales coastline on Feb. 1. However, the vessel has since been replaced by the CCG-5901.
Despite the replacement, the PCG continues to maintain a distance of 110 to 115 nautical miles from the Zambales coast, ensuring that Chinese vessels do not encroach further into Philippine territorial waters. The PCG has repeatedly denounced the actions of the CCG as illegal under UNCLOS, to which China is a signatory.
Source: philstar.com
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