PH naval, air patrols stepped up in Escoda Shoal

PN spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad (Photo: Philippine Navy/Facebook)

By Priam Nepomuceno, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – The Philippine military has increased air and naval patrols in the Escoda Shoal, amid the growing number of Chinese ships in the area.

In a radio interview Monday, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad said this is to support the law enforcement operations of the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701), which has been standing guard in the Escoda Shoal since April.

“Nag-iisa siya (BRP Teresa Magbanua), binabantayan natin sapagkat may mga reports dyan dati na may mga piled up crushed corals. Tinitiyak natin na ito ay hindi man-made kaya nandun tayo. So far naman yung ating Coast Guard ay manatiling nandun. Ang Navy naman at yung Air Force ay nagincrease ng ating patrolya dun, by sea and by air (That Filipino ship is standing guard alone there because there are reports of crushed corals being piled there. We are making sure that this event is not a man-made one so that’s why we are maintaining a presence. So far, our Coast Guard is there. The Navy and the Air Force have increased their patrols, by sea and air),” he added.

Trinidad, meanwhile, said there is still no need to deploy more assets to the Escoda Shoal.

“This could be done by one ship, this could be done by an aircraft, this could be done yung mga nagrereport sa atin na mga fishermen natin, so hindi naman ito padamihan ng barko dun sa Sabina or Escoda (this could be reported to us by Filipino fishermen operating in the area, this is not a contest of who has the most ships in Sabina or Escoda),” the PN official said.

As of Sunday, Trinidad said there are three China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, two People’s Liberation Army-Navy ships, one Chinese hospital vessel, one research ship and 47 maritime militia vessels in Escoda Shoal ranged against the BRP Teresa Magbanua.

On Saturday, the PCG ship was damaged after being repeatedly rammed by CCG vessels while attempting to loiter around Escoda Shoal.

The BRP Teresa Magbanua was able to return to Escoda Shoal later in the day without any injuries to its crew.