January 8, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang yesterday expressed concern over the presence of what has been described as a Chinese “monster ship” off the province of Zambales, even as it gave assurance that the latest intrusion into the West Philippine Sea is continuously being challenged.
The China Coast Guard (CCG) ship, first seen off the coast of Capones Island in Zambales, is equipped with anti-aircraft guns and fuel storage capacities and is bigger than a US Navy destroyer, according to a Bloomberg report.
The 12,000-ton CCG-5901 reportedly arrived near the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal this month.
“We view it with concern,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said when asked to react to the presence of the massive Chinese vessel in the West Philippine Sea.
“So far we have been challenging the presence of that monster ship. Our Coast Guard has always been very alert in following the presence of that monster ship. It keeps appearing and it is within our exclusive economic zone, so it is being challenged,” he said.
Bersamin said China also countered the challenges but no confrontation has taken place. “So, the issue here is about projection, but I’m not going to say anything more because that’s a matter of operation,” the executive secretary said.
According to Bersamin, the Philippines has been filing protests or demarche against intrusions in the West Philippine Sea. A vice ministerial level conference is being hosted alternately by Manila and Beijing to address the dispute peacefully, he added.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Monday evening they are closely monitoring the illegal presence of the largest China Coast Guard vessel CCG-5901 within the waters off Zambales.
According to PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela, the PCG’s BRP Cabra has been tracking the movements of the CCG vessel, which are described as “erratic and inconsistent” with innocent passage.
“Observations reveal that the CCG vessel’s erratic movements indicate it is not engaged in innocent passage but rather asserts that it is conducting a law enforcement operation, claiming jurisdiction over these waters as belonging to the People’s Republic of China,” Tarriela said in a statement on X.
In response, the BRP Cabra crew has been steadfast in challenging the CCG vessel’s presence.
PCG personnel, Tarriela said, have been actively shadowing the vessel to assert the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its EEZ.
Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan reiterated the PCG’s commitment to safeguarding the country’s maritime domain.
The PCG last Jan. 4 detected China’s vessel 54 nautical miles off Capones Island, Zambales using advanced monitoring systems.
They deployed assets to confirm and challenge the vessel’s presence, which later moved westward. — Michael Punongbayan
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