The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) sent an aircraft and a multi-role response vessel on Sunday, Sept. 27, to challenge China Coast Guard vessel CCG-3303, which was loitering about 35 nautical miles northwest of Cabra Island, Occidental Mindoro, inside the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The PCG also shadowed three Chinese navy warships nearby.
The same day, the Chinese Embassy in Manila branded Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. “extremely anti-China.”
Radio Challenges, No Reply
On the orders of PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, the PCG deployed aircraft PCG2081, a Cessna Grand Caravan, and BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) to “locate and challenge” CCG-3303, GMA News reported, citing a PCG statement.
The aircraft took off from Manila for a maritime domain awareness flight and, by 9:20 a.m., visually confirmed CCG-3303 at 36.61 nautical miles northwest of Cabra Island.
“PCG-2081 issued multiple radio challenges asserting that the vessel was operating inside the Philippine EEZ without authority. CCG-3303 did not respond to any of the challenges,” the PCG said, according to GMA News.
ABS-CBN News, which joined the flight, reported that the aircraft cited the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 Arbitral Award, told the vessel it had no legal authority in the EEZ, and directed it to leave immediately.
A Water-Cannon Veteran in “Unusual” Waters
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela identified CCG-3303 as one of the ships deployed at Bajo de Masinloc.
He said the same vessel used a water cannon against BRP Datu Cabaylo in July, ABS-CBN News reported.
“Comparing the location of this CCG vessel last night and today, it seems that it’s just loitering around the waters off Occidental Mindoro,” Tarriela said.
He called its presence off Lubang unusual, recalling similar activity only during coast guard exercises in Manila Bay involving the United States and Japan.
“Sometimes, they go to Pangasinan, Zambales and Bataan, but not in Mindoro,” he said.
Tarriela added that the challenge and deployment were meant to keep China from normalizing its presence in the area.
Three PLA Navy Warships Shadowed
On Sunday afternoon, BRP Teresa Magbanua monitored three People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) warships with bow numbers 572, 536 and 551, operating about 31 nautical miles northwest of the island, GMA News reported.
The PCG said the cutter shadowed the warships at distances of 0.74 to 6.28 nautical miles.
This followed the sighting of a PLA-N frigate, bow number 569, about 22 nautical miles east-northeast of Bajo de Masinloc on Sept. 26.
The PCG assessed that CCG-3303 and the warships may be linked to Chinese naval shadowing of an ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Maritime Security joint activity in the West Philippine Sea, which ended this week.
The coast guard said CCG-3303’s silence “strongly suggests” it was “operating in support of the PLA-N monitoring effort rather than performing any legitimate coast guard function.”
The PCG said the deployment follows President Marcos’ guidance to keep a presence in strategic areas of the West Philippine Sea.
Embassy Targets Teodoro
Also on Sunday, the Chinese Embassy accused Teodoro of “smearing” China in an “attempt to gain political capital and serve his personal gains,” GMA News reported.
“What he said concerning China disregards the facts, distorts right and wrong, and seeks to disrupt and undermine China-Philippines relations,” the embassy said.
“He aims to drive a wedge between the peoples of the two countries… But such attempts are doomed to fail.”
The statement responded to Teodoro’s remarks at a forum on Saturday.
There, he discussed illegal activities allegedly involving Chinese nationals, including the case of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo and the spread of substandard steel plants. He also warned that China was trying to create a “Sinocentric” world, GMA News reported.
Teodoro said he did not want to foster sinophobia, but argued that any such sentiment would result from the actions of the Chinese Communist Party.
China has previously barred Teodoro and his family from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, according to GMA News.
The embassy’s statement came on the same day it hit back at the US Embassy for backing the Philippines over a recent resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal.
Why It Matters
In a single weekend, China’s pressure showed up at sea, with a coast guard ship and three warships well inside the EEZ off Mindoro, and in words, with a direct diplomatic attack on the country’s defense chief.
The PCG says it will keep deploying air and sea assets to “monitor, document, and challenge” foreign vessels operating without authorization.
