FILE PHOTO: Escoda (Sabina) Shoal. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines —China’s fear that the Philippines is building a “forward deployment base” in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal is “unfounded,” Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said on Friday.
This was in response to the report of Global Times, a Chinese state publication, stating that the Philippines is set to build a “forward deployment base” off the shoal.
“While their unfounded fears regarding the Philippines potentially establishing a forward deployment base in Escoda Shoal are too absurd to warrant a response, this behavior reveals the mindset and actions of the PRC (People’s Republic of China),” Tarriela said in a statement.
“Their suspicions about the Philippines engaging in such actions stem from their own pattern of unlawfully occupying maritime areas in the South China Sea, followed by illegal reclamation and provocative militarization of those features,” Tarriela added.
The BRP Teresa Magbanua, a 97-meter multirole response vessel, has been deployed in Sabina Shoal since April 16, becoming the longest-deployed PCG asset in the West Philippine Sea following suspected reclamation activities around the shoal.
The Global Times, citing a source, said that a second ship “is scheduled to illegally enter” the waters off the shoal to join the BRP Teresa Magbanua for “joint anchoring.”
A 135-meter China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel with hull number 5303 was deployed by Beijing in Sabina Shoal to challenge Manila’s presence there.
The CCG-5303 replaced the CCG’s “monster ship”, which was deployed there for more than a month.
The CCG’s gigantic patrol cutter, which is the largest coast guard vessel in the world at 165 meters long and 22 meters wide, had been deployed off Escoda Shoal on July 3, but Tarriela said it already left by August 10.
Beijing’s presence in the are is based on its assertion of sovereignty in almost the entire South China Sea, including most of the West Philippine Sea, even if such a claim has been effectively invalidated by the arbitral award issued in July 2016.
The landmark ruling stemmed from a case filed by Manila in 2013, or a year after its tense standoff with Beijing over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, whose lagoon the latter now has an effective control of.
Tarriela said the Chinese media’s latest claims are made “to shape perceptions among their domestic audience and the international community, asserting that they have legitimate claims over the entire South China Sea.”
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
“Simultaneously, they aim to distract the international community from their unlawful actions and aggressive behavior,” he pointed out.
For comprehensive coverage, in-depth analysis, visit our special page for West Philippine Sea updates. Stay informed with articles, videos, and expert opinions.