MANILA, Philippines — At least 13 ships have been deployed in Sabina Shoal by China in just six hours, surrounding the country’s BRP Teresa Magbanua which has been posted in the shoal since April, former US Air Force official and former defense attaché Ray Powell said Monday.
“PRC (People’s Republic of China) ships [are] now deploying south of Sabina Shoal [for the] past 6 hours,” he said in an X (formerly Twitter) post.
Powell is actively monitoring China’s presence in the disputed waters and its movements in the maritime territories of other neighboring countries.
Over [the] past week China has been messaging intent to aggressively contest any Philippines missions to Sabina, where the BRP Teresa Magbanua has been posted since mid-April,” said Powell.
He mentioned that although no Philippine ships are openly broadcasting on automatic identification systems when approaching Sabina Shoal, China’s deployments are meant to block access from the PCG’s base at Buliluyan Port in southern Palawan.
The AIS is essential for large vessels to ensure safety and security.
The report follows the alleged collision between the Philippine Coast Guard and China Coast Guard near Sabina Shoal (Escoda Shoal) as reported by CCG spokesperson Gan Yu accusing that the PCG vessels BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engaño “illegally entered” the shoal without permission from Chinese authorities.
The Chinese official also claimed that the BRP Bagacay “deliberately” collided with a CCG vessel
“At 03:24, the Philippine ship No. 4410 (BRP Bagacay) ignored China’s repeated solemn warnings and deliberately collided with China’s 21551 boat, which was normally safeguarding its rights and enforcing the law in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a collision,” Gan said.
In a separate statement, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said that the CCG collided with PCG vessels “due to dangerous and illegal maneuvers” from Chinese vessels.
These dangerous maneuvers resulted in collisions, causing structural damage to both PCG vessels,” said Jonathan Malaya, Assistant Director General of the National Security Council.
Malaya said that the BRP Cape Engaño was involved in a collision with CCGV-3104, which resulted in a 5-inch hole in its deck. Later, at 3:40 AM, BRP Bagacay, located about 21.3 nautical miles southeast of Escoda Shoal, was rammed twice by CCGV 21551, causing minor damage to both sides of the ship.
“The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea urges restraint and adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other relevant international laws to prevent further escalations and ensure the safety of all vessels operating in the region,” he said.
Despite the “agreement” reached between the Philippines, China has been “attacking” Philippine authorities patrolling in the maritime region. Recently, Chinese jets fired eight rounds of flares at a Philippine Air Force plane, prompting the Philippine government to file another diplomatic protest against Beijing.
The string of skirmishes in the disputed waters was a result of China’s continuous dismissal of the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling favoring Manila’s maritime claims in the West Philippine Sea, denying China’s assertions.
