The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) announced on Friday that the China Coast Guard ship CCG 5901, the world's largest coast guard vessel known as "The Monster," has been deployed to the Escoda Shoal to intimidate the BRP Teresa Magbanua.
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Commodore Jay Tarriela, revealed that BRP Teresa Magbanua's deployment to Escoda Shoal marks the longest deployment of the Coast Guard in the WPS.
"The reason why the Monster ship was deployed in Escoda Shoal is to intimidate our Coast Guard vessel 9701," Tarriela said.
"For more than 60 days or more than two months, Teresa Magbanua has sustained her presence here at Escoda Shoal," he added.
BRP Teresa Magbanua has been stationed in Escoda Shoal since April amid reports of China's reclamation activities in the area. Escoda or Sabina Shoal is located 75 nautical miles or about 140 kilometers off Palawan and falls within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Using Canada's Dark Vessel Detection technology, the Philippine Coast Guard tracked the movements of the 165-meter-long Chinese Coast Guard ship, CCG-5901. The ship departed from Hainan on July 1, entered the Philippines' EEZ the following day, and traveled to Ayungin Shoal and Panganiban Reef before heading to Escoda Shoal.
Upon arrival at Escoda Shoal, the Chinese ship was radio-challenged by the PCG's BRP Teresa Magbanua. The PCG inquired about the Chinese ship's intentions and emphasized its operations within the Philippines' EEZ. For over two days, the Chinese ship has remained anchored near BRP Teresa Magbanua, less than 800 yards away.
"Before, it was still 0.5 nautical miles away. But now, it is only several hundred yards away from BRP Teresa Magbanua," Tarriela said.
From June 17 to 27, Chinese vessels also conducted an intrusive patrol in the WPS. This latest voyage coincided with a violent incident at Ayungin Shoal involving Chinese and Filipino personnel, resulting in one Filipino sailor losing his thumb.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, overlapping with the territorial claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled that China's claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing does not recognize.
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