UP to eight Chinese ships are monitored to be operating at Sabina Shoal, or Escoda Shoal, in the West Philippine Sea in the South China on a daily basis, the Philippine Navy said yesterday.
However, the Chinese are not in control of the shoal which is about 70 nautical miles from mainland Palawan, said Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea.
“Every now and then, we see on the average, two or three of the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Navy and four or five of the Coast Guard,” Trinidad told a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.
China has increased its presence at the shoal after the Philippine Coast Guard stationed one of its ships, BRP Teresa Magbanua, in April after authorities discovered a pileup of corals which they said is indication of small-scale reclamation.
The PCG ship left the shoal in September due to bad weather, dwindling supplies, need to evacuate sick crew members, and damage it sustained when it was harassed by a Chinese vessel earlier.
A replacement vessel has been sent by the PCG to the area.
About two weeks ago, the PCG reported that a Filipino fishing boat was subjected to dangerous maneuver and prevented by the Chinese from entering the shoal.
Trinidad said the harassment was an “isolated incident,” dismissing insinuations that the Chinese control the shoal.
“We can still access the shoal. They (Chinese) don’t have 24/7 control. We still continue performing our mandate,” said Trinidad.
“We didn’t leave the area, our monitoring of Sabina and the other features of the Philippines has been continuous,” he added.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the military conducted 54 “successful patrol missions” in the West Philippine Sea from November 1 to 25.
“These patrols strengthen our commitment in the West Philippine Sea while ensuring seamless support for operations like maritime domain awareness, search and rescue operations and resupply missions,” she said.
