The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Wednesday a new fleet was deployed to replace China Coast Guard (CCG) 5901 near Zambales, based on its latest monitoring using Canada’s dark vessel detection system.
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela said CCG 5901, or the ‘monster ship,’ departed from the coastline and was last seen approximately 90 nautical miles on January 8.
It was, however, immediately replaced by another vessel CCG 3103, which left Guangdong province in China on Tuesday and headed to the previous location of the monster ship.
“As of 3 PM today (Wednesday), CCG-3103 was detected by Canada’s Dark Vessel Detection at a distance of 60 nautical miles from Pandaquit, Zambales,” Tarriela reported.
“This indicates that CCG-3103 is likely serving as a replacement vessel for the monster ship, thereby sustaining its illegal presence within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone,” he added.
To address this development, PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan has deployed the PCG Islander aircraft to confirm the presence of CCG-3103 in the area. The reconnaissance mission verified that the vessel is now operating within the vicinity previously occupied by the “monster ship.”
The PCG vessel BRP Cabra is also en route to the location of CCG-3103 to monitor and challenge its presence, according to Tarriela.
