A China Coast Guard (CCG) ship spotted off Zambales has left the area after being shadowed and issued a radio challenge by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said BRP Cabra ordered CCG-4305 to leave the area “despite being outmatched in size” through radio challenges while shadowing the Chinese ship.
BRP Cabra is a 44-meter multi-role response vessel, while CCG-4305 is a 134-meter ship equipped with a 76mm main gun and two 30mm close-in weapon systems.
SeaLight director Ray Powell on Saturday monitored CCG-4305 as close as 35 nautical miles from the country’s coastline just outside Subic Bay.
He added that CCG-4305 began returning to Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal on Sunday and was already within its vicinity by Monday.
At least four CCG vessels are within Scarborough Shoal’s vicinity as of Monday, according to the satellite image provided by Powell.
Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, but Manila elevated the dispute to an international tribunal, which in 2016 ruled in favor of the Philippines’ sovereign rights.
