PH Navy monitors China Coast Guard ship off Zambales coastline

MANILA, November 28 ------ The Philippine Navy is closely monitoring a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel off the Zambales coastline, an official said.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the Chinese ship was observed moving northward off the Zambales coastline at a speed of 8 knots. The vessel was approximately 51 nautical miles west of Botolan at noon. “We do not want to speculate bakit lumapit siya, but we have noticed in the past na kapag mayroon tayong weather disturbance, afterwards, bumabalik ang mga CCG, maritime militia and ang PLA [People’s Liberation Army] Navy,” Trinidad told reporters in an interview on the sidelines of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Leadership Summit in Quezon City. “This could now be the return of the ships after the typhoon, Medyo lumapit nang kaunti sa coastal area of Zambales. It was traveling northward… straight up northward ang kanyang takbo, a speed of approximately 8 knots, dire-diretso ang kanyang takbo,” he added.

According to Trinidad, the Northern Luzon Naval Command attempted to deploy an aircraft to challenge the vessel, but bad weather prevented the flight. Nonetheless, the CCG ship’s presence is no cause for alarm, he said. “No [not a cause for alarm], definitely no. Why? We are already aware of their presence, that’s why we monitor them, and we record everything,” Trinidad stressed.

The official added that three more CCG vessels were monitored within two nautical miles of Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com