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'Monster' ship intrudes Ph waters
By J.Lo
"It's a Chinese Coast Guard ship and there will be appropriate response from NTF, coast guard, Philippine Coast Guard," Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesman for West Philippine Sea (WPS), told reporters China's biggest coast guard ship is in the vicinity of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal off Zambales, even as it continues checking alleged sightings of pipeline in the land feature purportedly laid down by Chinese.
Trinidad said unnamed vessel was last sighted some 50 nautical miles from Panatag or Scarborough Shoal, also called Bajo de Masinloc.
Trinidad did not reveal other details of Chinese vessel.
But in post on X, Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, said Chinese ship seen near Panatag was actually world's largest coast guard ship 165 meters long with bow number 5901.
He also said on X that smaller CCG ship with bow number 5203 was also in the vicinity. They were last spotted in the area at about 5:15 in the morning.
Sighting of the largest CCG ship dubbed "the Monster" came days after Beijing announced issuance of maritime regulation allowing its coast guard to pick up and detain for 60 days without trial any foreigner found trespassing in Chinese territorial waters. China considers almost entire South China Sea its territory.
While ship's activities were being monitored, Trinidad stressed it's up to National Task Force (NTF) on WPS to decide which course of action to take next.
Trinidad also said Philippine Navy is still verifying reports of pipe-laying work on Panatag Shoal by Chinese.
"We are treating initial report as unverified or unsubstantiated…we checked and we're still trying to find other corroborating reports on that matter, so far, report has been on its own, it's still unverified or unsubstantiated…unsubstantiated, unverified report, that's how we think of it as of now, " he said.
Just days after China's warning of more restrictions in West Philippine Sea, Filipino fishermen said harassment by Chinese had gotten worse, based on testimonies from fisherfolk in Masinloc in Zambales during onsite joint public consultation by House committee on national defense and security and special committee on WPS.
Witness from Sta. Cruz town in Zambales, had already stopped fishing in Bajo de Masinloc due to intensified Chinese harassment.
Chinese would sometimes intercept them and confiscate their catch usually worth some P10,000 and trade them with five kilos of noodles nearing expiry.
Others expressed their concern that Chinese would make good their threat to arrest them starting June 15.
In message, Speaker Martin Romualdez underscored that Bajo de Masinloc is "traditional fishing ground of Zambales and Pangasinan fisherfolk," as it is within country's exclusive economic zone.
Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales would relay fishermen's concerns to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Zambales Rep. Jay Khonghun and other congressmen suggested that assistance from Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) be tailor-fit to fisherfolk's needs.
Khonghun said BFAR was giving fishermen "small fiberglass boats good for rivers while we need big vessels for high seas." He said Subic town in his district received one 20-foot boat from BFAR.
And while public consultation was going on, Chinese dredger was spotted cruising waters off Bucao, Zambales, raising concerns and questions about its presence.
Dredger , HONG FA 158, under bareboat charter with Oromarine, was reportedly being operated by China Harbour Engineering Co. (CHEC).
Zambales Ecological Network executive director Heidi Fernandez called presence of dredger "slap in the face and mockery of our sovereignty."
She said presence of dredger was particularly contentious, given suspension of sand dredging activities in Zambales due to environmental complaints.
CHEC was reportedly involved in reclamation and construction of artificial islands by Chinese in Philippine waters.
Meanwhile, also in bid to assuage fisherfolk's concerns, PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela have "made commitment to strengthen its presence in West Philippine Sea by deploying more PCG vessels."
"We will make sure Filipino fishermen will not be harassed by CCG," he said .
He said Armed Forces would also help in "carrying out whatever it takes to make sure our fishermen are safe."
He stressed new Chinese regulation "has no legal basis and is another form of harassment."
Tarriela attended inauguration of new PCG station in Itbayat in the Philippines' northernmost province of Batanes.
New PCG station was "very important to PCG and government" because it would be used to "monitor movement of ships crossing Luzon Strait," including Chinese research vessels, he said.
Last May 22, PCG also opened new station in the town of Hamtic in Antique.
New building for PCG station in Antique was "commitment to providing better support to local government by upholding maritime security and maritime safety within vicinity waters of Antique."
"Establishment of this new monitoring station is strategic move to enhance maritime domain awareness and strengthen security measures along Luzon Strait, vital international waterway, new facility not only extends services offered by national government through PCG here in Itbayat, Batanes, but also improves country's maritime domain awareness efforts in Northern Luzon," National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said, referring to Itbayat station.
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