2 China coast guard ships spotted off Pangasinan

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday detected two China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels sailing near the coast of Pangasinan. The PCG said the ships with bow numbers 3301 and 3104 were tracked through its Dark Vessel Detection program 34 nautical miles from the Pangasinan coast. PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan has ordered a PCG plane to visually confirm the presence of the ships and issue a radio challenge to them. Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said the PCG plane sighted the vessels around 9:30 a.m. The Chinese vessels did not respond to the PCG's radio challenge, Tarriela said. Two PCG vessels, the BRP Cabra and BRP Bagacay, have been dispatched to Bolinao, Pangasinan. "The Philippine government, under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the country's maritime interests," he said. The PCG said its actions comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It said it remains professional and vigilant, ensuring that tensions in the region do not escalate unnecessarily. In an incident on Saturday, the PCG's BRP Teresa Magbanua drove away another CCG vessel, 3304, from the coastline of Zambales. CCG 3304, however, was replaced by CCG 5901, a massive vessel that has been referred to as the "monster ship." Tarriela said the Magbanua maintained its position 110-115 nautical miles from the Zambales coastline as it shadowed CCG 5901. "The crew aboard BRP Teresa Magbanua displayed exceptional courage and resilience in the face of potential intimidation," Tarriela said.