PH Navy: No reason for China to block Escoda Shoal amid new ship deployment

The Philippine Navy on Tuesday said China has no reason to block Escoda Shoal amid the deployment of a Philippine ship as replacement for the BRP Teresa Magbanua.

"I don't see any reason why they would block Sabina Shoal or Escoda Shoal. There's no reason for that. Whatever they do, we will keep performing our mandate," Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said in a press briefing.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año had said Friday that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) sent a ship to Escoda Shoal as a replacement for the BRP Teresa Magbanua, the largest ship in its fleet.

"Actually, nagpadala na ang ating Coast Guard pero because of the weather kailangan mag-shelter muna," Año said in an ambush interview.

(Actually, our Coast Guard has already sent a replacement but because of the weather, it has to take shelter first.)

"Tuloy-tuloy 'yan as soon as mag-improve 'yung weather. May plano 'yung ating Philippine Coast Guard kung paano poproteksyunan ang ating West Philippine Sea," he added.

(It will continue with its journey as soon as the weather improves. Our Philippine Coast Guard has a plan on how to protect our West Philippine Sea.)

In the past week, the number of Chinese vessels seen in Escoda Shoal increased from 65 to 82 including 11 Chinese warships.

Asked if Chinese vessels already blocked the Philippine deployment of ships in Escoda, Trinidad said they have not received such a report.

"We have not received any such report. The National Maritime Council mentioned that we will continue monitoring Sabina or Escoda," he said.

"Monitoring can be done through different means, not only physical presence. We use sea, air, land, and space-based systems. So hindi lamang 'yung presensya ang puwedeng pang monitor natin (We can monitor not only by our presence)," he added.

Trinidad declined to provide information whether or not Philippine ships are already in Escoda Shoal.

After five months of being anchored at the disputed area, the BRP Teresa Magbanua was pulled out from Escoda Shoal due to its questionable seaworthiness, lack of supplies for the crew, and the bad weather condition, according to the PCG.

BRP Teresa Magbanua had been stationed in Escoda Shoal since April amid reports of China's reclamation activities in the area.

Escoda Shoal, also known as Sabina Shoal, is located 75 nautical miles or about 140 kms off Palawan and is within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Beijing had been calling on the Philippines to remove the BRP Teresa Magbanua from Escoda Shoal as its presence supposedly violated Chinese sovereignty. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that it lodged a formal protest over the presence of the Philippine ship in Escoda Shoal.

Tensions continue amid China's massive claim in the South China Sea (SCS), including the portion the Philippines refers to as the West Philippine Sea.

The SCS is a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Aside from the Philippines, China has overlapping claims in the area with Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has not recognized the decision. — VDV, GMA Integrated News