The Philippines would not end BRP Teresa Magbanua’s three-month old mission at Escoda Shoal despite the arrival of China’s biggest vessel dubbed as “The Monster.”
For a week now, the largest coast guard vessels of the Philippines and China have been in close proximity to each other at Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in West Philippines Sea (WPS).
As neither one of them had budged, the Philippine Navy on Tuesday reiterated that the Filipinos won’t be the first to do so, citing “our past experiences and current capabilities.”
Still, Navy spokesperson on the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, refused to call the situation between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the China Coast Guard (CCG) a “standoff.”
Trinidad said the BRP Teresa Magbanua would not end its objective at Escoda just because of the arrival on July 3 of CCG vessel 5901, which at one point, came as close as 500 yards to the Magbanua.
“We have our plans, not only for Escoda. All our plans are anchored on all our past experiences and current capabilities,” Trinidad said, suggesting a strategy behind the Magbanua’s resolve to stay put.
It was Trinidad’s response when asked how the Navy would avoid a repeat of the 2012 standoff over another shoal—Panatag (Scarborough)—which lasted two months and ended with the Philippines losing the shoal to Chinese control.
Also known as Bajo de Masinloc, Panatag has since been off-limits to Filipino fishermen, mainly those from Zambales province, who now face harassment from the Chinese whenever they dare venture into what used to be part of their traditional fishing grounds.
“There is no standoff. No standoff,” Trinidad stressed.
“We will ensure the integrity of our territory. Of course it is our mandate. Not only that, but we have to ensure that what is ours will remain ours,” he affirmed.
The PCG first noted the arrival of the 12,000-ton CCG ship at Escoda Shoal, saying it dropped anchor there on July 3.
“We have almost all of our capital ships already being assigned or doing routine patrols in the West Philippine Sea, not only because of the ‘Monster’ ship,” he told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo.
“We will not give up that ship (Magbanua). It is an indication of the government’s stand. It is the mandate of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to ensure the integrity of the national territory,” he added.
According to an update released on Tuesday by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, at least 95 Chinese vessels were sighted within the WPS on July 8 alone. Of the total, the majority were maritime militia vessels that numbered up to 78.
There are two Chinese warships also seen in the vicinity of Ayungin, which are located some 67 kilometers west of Escoda.
Roughly 139 km west of Palawan province, Escoda serves as the rendezvous point or staging area for rotation and resupply missions to the grounded BRP Sierra Madre, the Philippine military outpost at Ayungin.
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