PCG challenges China Coast Guard vessel off Zambales
The Philippine Coast Guard over the weekend challenged a China Coast Guard vessel located nearly 76 nautical miles from Palauig Point off the coast of Zambales, which is within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
In a post on his X account on Sunday evening, PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said the agency directed the Multi Role Response Vessel (MRRV-4409) BRP Cabra on Saturday evening to challenge the presence of the CCG vessel, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
'Despite facing challenging sea conditions with wave heights ranging from 8 to 10 feet, the 44-meter vessel continuously engaged the China Coast Guard 3105, emphasizing its lack of legal authority to patrol within Philippine waters but did not receive any response,' the post read.
To recall, the Philippines in 2013 challenged China over its claims on the West Philippine Sea, and in 2016 Manila scored a victory in a landmark ruling by an international tribunal that invalidated Beijing's claims.
China has refused to acknowledge the Permanent Court of Arbitration's 2016 ruling that invalidated its nine-dash line. Its government in 2022 claimed that it will continue to adhere to what it described as a 'friendly consultation' with the Philippines after several Chinese vessels have been found 'swarming' areas in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines has already filed over 150 diplomatic protests against China regarding the territorial dispute under the administration of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr.
Fishing boat in distress
Tarriela said the BRP Cabra also received a distress call from Filipino fishing boat FFB John John, which reported engine troubles about 40.35 nautical miles southeast of Bajo De Masinloc.
'Swiftly responding to the situation, the crew of BRP Cabra successfully arrived at the location of the fishing boat and is now towing it safely back to Subic Port, Zambales,' he said.
'The actions of BRP Cabra and its crew reflect the commitment of the PCG to uphold the directive of the President, reinforcing the Philippines' rights in the West Philippine Sea,' he added. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
6 hours ago
- GMA Network
Trump and Xi will likely speak this week, White House says
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will likely speak this week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, days after Trump accused China of violating an agreement to roll back tariffs and trade restrictions. Leavitt is the third top Trump aide to forecast an imminent call between the two leaders to iron out differences on last month's tariff agreement in Geneva, among larger trade issues. It was not immediately clear when the two leaders will speak. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that Trump and Xi would speak "very soon" to iron out trade issues including a dispute over critical minerals and China's restrictions on exports of certain minerals. Trump said on Friday he was sure that he would speak to Xi. China said in April that the two leaders had not had a conversation recently. On Saturday, the U.S. Trade Representative's office announced it would continue to exclude certain solar manufacturing equipment and other products from existing tariffs on Chinese goods until August 31, offering a three-month extension while talks with Beijing continue. Bessent led negotiations with China in Geneva last month that resulted in a temporary truce in the trade war between the world's two biggest economies, but progress since then has been slow, the U.S. Treasury chief told Fox News last week. The U.S.-China agreement to dial back triple-digit tariffs for 90 days prompted a massive relief rally in global stocks. But it did nothing to address the underlying reasons for Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods, mainly longstanding U.S. complaints about China's state-dominated, export-driven economic model, leaving those issues for future talks. A U.S. trade court on Wednesday ruled that Trump overstepped his authority in imposing the bulk of his tariffs on imports from China and other countries under an emergency powers act. But less than 24 hours later, a federal appeals court reinstated the tariffs, saying it was pausing the trade court ruling to consider the government's appeal. The appeals court ordered the plaintiffs to respond by June 5 and the administration to respond by June 9. — Reuters
GMA Network
10 hours ago
- GMA Network
Taiwan says China deployed 2 aircraft carrier groups, dozens of ships
TAIPEI, Taiwan - China deployed two aircraft carrier groups and dozens of ships in waters north and south of Taiwan last month, a Taiwanese security official said Monday, as Beijing keeps up military pressure on the self-ruled island. Up to 70 Chinese ships, including navy vessels, were monitored from the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea from May 1-27, a security official said on the condition of anonymity. Beijing has ramped up the deployment of fighter jets and warships around Taiwan in recent years as it pressures Taipei to accept its claims of sovereignty over the island. China has refused to rule out using force to bring Taiwan under its control, leaving the island to face the constant threat of invasion. "Its military actions and grey-zone activities have included large-scale deployments across the entire island chain, involving comprehensive maximum pressure," the security official said in remarks released Monday. "On average, there have been between 50 to 70 naval vessels and government ships as well as hundreds of sorties by various military aircraft continuously conducting harassment operations." Some of the ships passed through the Miyako Strait to the Western Pacific Ocean for "long-distance training, including combined air-sea exercises", the official said. Another 30 Chinese vessels with no name, documentation or port of registry were detected near Taiwan's Penghu archipelago in the Taiwan Strait on May 19 and had been "deliberately sent to harass", the official said. And a total of 75 Chinese aircraft were involved in three "combat readiness patrols" near the island during the month, Taiwan's defense ministry figures show. Asia-Pacific's so-called first island chain links Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippines, while the Yellow Sea is west of South Korea -- all partners of the United States and critical to its influence in the region. 'More provocative' The Taiwanese security official said China's activities in May were "more provocative than previously observed". In one incident, Tokyo and Beijing exchanged diplomatic protests each accusing the other of "violating" national airspace, after a Chinese helicopter and coast guard vessels faced off with a Japanese aircraft around disputed islands. The Chinese actions were a demonstration of "military expansion" and were aimed at controlling the "entire island chain and improving their capabilities", the official said. China's deployment coincided with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's speech on May 20 marking his first year in office and came ahead of an annual security forum in Singapore at the weekend. US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth told the Shangri-La Dialogue that China was "credibly preparing" to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia. Beijing, which did not send its Defence Minister Dong Jun to the summit, warned Washington "should not play with fire". "It felt like they were in a state where they could announce something at any moment, trying to seize on some opportunity or excuse to act," the Taiwanese official said of the Chinese. China has carried out several large-scale military drills around Taiwan since Lai took office. — Agence France-Presse
GMA Network
15 hours ago
- GMA Network
Teodoro dismisses Chinese officers' ‘questions' as propaganda in public forum
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. rebutted questions posed by some Chinese military officials regarding the West Philippine Sea as 'propaganda' during a defense forum in Singapore. In Ivan Mayrina's Monday report on '24 Oras,' Teodoro made the statement at the Shangri-La Dialogue after a Chinese military official asked why the Philippines could not be like its neighboring countries, citing Malaysia and Vietnam, which engaged in dialogue on territorial issues and instead engaged in what he said were confrontations. 'Why can't the Philippines do the same? Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar (Ibrahim) mentioned he, otherwise, your President to engage dialogue and communication with… China. So, will the Philippines follow his advice and change his current approach to the South China Sea issue or that the Philippine intent to act as a proxy for external powers?' said Senior Colonel Qi Dapeng, a professor at the National Security College and National Defense University in China. 'The United States is sending more arms to this region and setting up more military bases in the Philippines. Are you concerned that a proxy war in Asia might be launched?" asked Senior Colonel Zhang Chi, an associate professor at the same school. In response, Teodoro said, 'Thank you for the propaganda spiels disguised as questions. Let us not forget that while we are members of (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), we are sovereign countries, each with its own territorial integrity and sovereignty. And I'm sure that if what China is doing to the Philippines is done to Malaysia or to any ASEAN country, you would see a different reaction." Members of the audience applauded the defense secretary. 'I would like to reiterate that the Philippine position on the West Philippine Sea is not a function of Sino-American strategic rivalry. Instead, it is caused, no doubt, by the overreach of the Chinese Communist Party of which the most glaring evidence is the nine, 10 or 11-line that has absolutely no basis in international law,' Teodoro maintained, rebutting the Chinese narrative that the Philippines is the United States' proxy and lackey. The Filipino official stressed that trust is needed to engage in a dialogue with China with regards to the issues of the West Philippine Sea. No official high-ranking delegates from Beijing attended the defense forum. Instead, Teodoro accused Beijing of sending intelligence agents posing as journalists. Earlier, Teodoro and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. slammed a report by Chinese media that the AFP official avoided their questions, and called it propaganda. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
