PH ships near Bajo de Masinloc not intercepted -PCG

The Philippine Coast Guard clarified on Monday that two Filipino vessels near Bajo de Masinloc were not intercepted by the Chinese Coast Guard, contradicting claims from a maritime expert.

PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela explained in a virtual briefing that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels were stationary because they were delivering fuel subsidies to 26 Filipino fishing boats in the area.

Former US Air Force official and defense attaché Ray Powell had claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that two Chinese Coast Guard vessels intercepted BRP Bagacay and BRP Datu Pagbuaya, while additional Chinese maritime militia ships formed blocking positions.

However, Tarriela emphasized that the Filipino vessels remained in position to assist local fishers. "As we speak, those four BFAR vessels are still distributing fuel subsidies," he said.

While no harassment occurred, the PCG noted that Chinese maritime militia had reinstalled floating barriers to block Filipino fishing boats from entering Bajo de Masinloc.

The shoal, also known as Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal, lies 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Tensions persist as Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping with territorial claims from the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, declaring China’s claims had "no legal basis." However, China has refused to recognize the ruling. — DVM, GMA Integrated News