President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos is concerned about the China Coast Guard’s (CCG) “dangerous maneuvers” off the coast of Zambales province that nearly resulted in a collision with a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel.
At a media briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said Mr. Marcos is closely monitoring developments.
“Of course, the President is concerned about what is happening,” she said.
“But we continue to maintain a level of professionalism anchored in a fearless spirit of patriotism,” the Palace spokesperson added.
In a statement, the PCG said a Chinese vessel made multiple attempts to ram the BRP Cabra.
However, due to the superior maneuverability of the BRP Cabra, the CCG resorted to using a smaller, faster vessel—CCG-21612—in further futile attempts to ram the Philippine vessel.
“Despite these aggressive actions, the professionalism, composure, and seamanship of the PCG sailors have successfully outmatched the reckless tactics employed by the two China Coast Guard vessels,” PCG stated.
“The BRP Cabra continues to shadow and challenge CCG-3302, demonstrating unwavering resolve in the face of intimidation,” it added.
Meanwhile, 40 Chinese vessels were sighted in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in March, the Philippine Navy (PN) reported on Tuesday.
During a press conference, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the PN’s spokesperson for the WPS, disclosed that the Chinese vessels were observed near various features in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Eight People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and 14 China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels were spotted in Bajo de Masinloc [Scarborough Shoal], six CCG vessels were seen in Ayungin Shoal [Second Thomas Shoal], and seven PLAN and five CCG vessels were monitored in Escoda Shoal [Sabina Shoal].
“We do not speculate on the number of PLA Navy ships in our EEZ. Suffice it to say that we have been conducting our patrols on sea and on air to show that we are not deterred by their presence within our EEZ,” Trinidad said.
As this developed, the Philippine Navy’s newest corvette, the BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06), which is poised to play a critical role in enhancing the nation’s maritime defense capabilities, arrived at the Naval Operating Base in Subic, Zambales yesterday.
Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, Jr., welcomed the fleet’s newest asset as it docked at its new home after sailing from the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, where it was built.
“Miguel Malvar is here today not only to serve as a deterrent and protector of our waters, but also as an important component in joint and combined operations as we work alongside allies and uphold the norms of international law,” Teodoro said.
He described the ship’s arrival as a major milestone in the Philippines’ efforts to establish a self-reliant and credible defense posture.