February 3, 2025
MANILA – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has dispatched two of its vessels to “address the illegal presence” of two Chinese ships in waters off Pangasinan.
According to PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela, they deployed two 44-meter vessels, BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409) and BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410).
He also said that PCG Island aircraft was likewise dispatched and had already issued a radio challenge against Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels 3301 and 3104, which were last spotted approximately 34 nautical miles off the coast of Pangasinan through the PCG’s dark vessel detection program.
“At around 9:30 AM today, the PCG aircraft confirmed the illegal presence of the China Coast Guard vessels, identified by bow numbers 3301 and 3104. Notably, the CCG vessels did not respond to the radio challenge issued by the PCG,” Tarriela said.
“Currently, two PCG vessels, BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409) and BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410) both 44-meter ships, have been dispatched to Bolinao, Pangasinan, to address the illegal presence of the China Coast Guard,” he added.
Moreover, he said the PCG vessels reminded the CCG that their presence is illegal, reinforcing the Philippine government’s position against “the normalization of illegal patrols” within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
Beijing’s continued aggression in the WPS is based on its assertion of sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including most of the WPS, as it continues to reject the 2016 arbitral ruling that effectively dismissed its claims and ruled in favor of Manila.