China's 'monster ship' stays close to BRP Teresa Magbanua at Escoda Shoal

MANILA, Philippines — China coast guard’s “Monster Ship” is still in the vicinity of Escoda (Sabina) Shoal, appearing to shadow the BRP Teresa Magbanua of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), according to Sealight director and defense and maritime expert Ray Powell.

“Tonight at Sabina (Escoda) Shoal in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, China’s massive 12,000-ton intimidator, China Coast Guard 5901 (‘The Monster’), now keeps watch over the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Teresa Magbanua,” he said in a post on X Wednesday night.

An updated X post of Powell indicated the “Monster Ship” was still in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal Thursday. “One militia ship moving SE (South East) of Sabina. ‘The Monster’ (CCG 5901) still at Sabina ~600m from BRP Teresa Magbanua,” Powell reported.

Several other Chinese boats and maritime militia vessels appeared to be in blocking position near the mouth of the shoal, which is well within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

“The Philippine Navy, the PCG, BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) and all other government instrumentalities have to ensure that our territory is intact, our sovereignty and sovereign rights are protected,” Philippine Navy spokesman for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said on Tuesday when asked at a briefing if Teresa Magbanua was being considered to serve as a military outpost in Escoda.

“This will mean increased presence, this will mean increased maritime and air patrols, this will mean stationing ships longer than necessary. Rest assured again the government instrumentalities we are doing everything that we can, with all that we have to ensure that our sovereignty and sovereign rights are protected,” he said.

Maintaining presence in Escoda Shoal should send a message to the country’s neighbors “that we have maritime domain awareness, not only through the presence of our ships, coast guard, navy or BFAR but to the other modes of monitoring, this could be space-based or through aerial surveillance flights.”

Last July 2, PCG Commodore and spokesman Jay Tarriela reported three 44-meter patrol vessels joined the Teresa Magbanua in Escoda Shoal “after successfully completing their resupply missions at various maritime features where the PCG has substations before heading back to port.”

The Teresa Magbanua was sent to Escoda Shoal following reports from UP marine scientiests that the Chinese were destroying the marine environment in the area with their “small-scale island reclamation.” Escoda Shoal is only 75 kilometers from Palawan’s nearest coastline. —  Ghio Ong