BRP Teresa Magbanua leaves Escoda Shoal

Mission accomplished: Philippines to maintain presence

MANILA, Philippines — As Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua returned to Palawan to undergo “needed repairs,” the National Maritime Council (NMC) yesterday said the Philippines would maintain its presence over Escoda Shoal to continue to assert its sovereign rights and jurisdiction and monitor illegal activities in the area.

In a statement, NMC chairman and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed reports that Teresa Magbanua has left Escoda Shoal – a critical area within the West Philippine Sea (WPS) – after more than five months of being deployed there.

“BRP Teresa Magbanua is now sailing back to her homeport with her mission accomplished,” Bersamin said.

Escoda Shoal lies 75 nautical miles from Palawan and is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Chinese ships had tried to prevent resupply missions to the Teresa Magbanua, the PCG’s biggest and most expensive ship.

The Teresa Magbanua returned to port due to worsening weather conditions, depleted supplies, and the need to medically evacuate four personnel suffering from various ailments, including stomach pain, dehydration and arthritis. 
According to Bersamin, the repositioning will allow the Teresa Magbanua to address the medical needs of some of her crew, undergo needed repairs, and allow her crew to enjoy a well-deserved furlough and reunion with their loved ones.

“After she has been resupplied and repaired, and her crew recharged, she will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission, along with other PCG and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) assets, as defenders of our sovereignty,” he said.

In an interview, NMC spokesman Alexander Lopez declined to provide details on which vessel would take over the role of Teresa Magbanua at Escoda Shoal, saying these are “operational matters.”

Lopez also stressed it was the decision of the PCG to pull out its vessel from the shoal, not because of China’s demands.

“No. This a unilateral action of the PCG considering the admin and operational factors mentioned in the NMC statement,” he told reporters.

Lopez said some of the ship’s crew also need immediate medical treatment.

“Our presence will be sustained and we will keep on monitoring and documenting any or all illegal activities of the other side for our strategic purpose,” he said, referring to China.

Asked about the possibility of coming back to Escoda Shoal to find China in control of the shoal – as it did after the 2012 standoff at Scarborough Shoal – Lopez said, “I don’t think so. Because Scarborough Shoal is a lesson learned for us.”

“The government resolved we will maintain our presence in whatever away, and we will continue to monitor and enforce our rights, exercise our rights, sovereign rights, sovereignty and jurisdiction over the area,” he said.

In 2012, Philippine ships had withdrawn from Scarborough Shoal as part of a supposed agreement to lower tension, after the Philippine Navy tried to arrest poachers at the shoal, a traditional fishing ground in the WPS.

China maintained its presence at Scarborough, located 124 nautical miles off the municipality of Masinloc in Zambales, and continues to harass and prevent Filipino fishers from entering the shoal’s lagoon.

Asked to expound on Bersamin’s “mission accomplished” remarks, Lopez said the Teresa Magbanua was able to prevent China’s illegal activities, including further degradation of the ecosystem in Escoda Shoal, and it asserted the Philippines’ rights over the area under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral ruling.

In his statement, Bersamin said during Teresa Magbanua’s deployment at Escoda Shoal, “she challenged an encirclement by a larger flotilla of intruders, battled inclement weather, with her crew surviving on diminished daily provisions.”

“What made this possible is the determination and dedication of the men and women on board, who crewed her in the finest tradition of our Philippine Coast Guard sailors, and in honor of the heroine for whom she was named,” he said.

According to the coast guard, the Teresa Magbanua had suffered structural damage after a China Coast Guard ship rammed it on Aug. 31.

Return to port

The PCG welcomed back the Teresa Magbanua yesterday, after the vessel completed a five-month mission aimed at protecting the country’s maritime resources and preventing illegal activities at Escoda Shoal, also known as Sabina Shoal.

PCG Admiral Ronnie Gavan commended the officers and crew of the Teresa Magbanua for their unwavering dedication during the extended deployment. The ship’s presence played a key role in preventing illegal activities such as coral destruction and deterring reclamation efforts in the contested waters.

The Teresa Magbanua also provided support for marine survey studies on coral destruction, and safeguarded Filipino fishermen in the area.

“We acknowledge the patriotism, bravery, and professionalism of our personnel aboard BRP Teresa Magbanua as they continued their mission under dangerous and adverse conditions,” Gavan said.

“They have made significant contributions to protecting our sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.

“You have demonstrated how best to serve this country, even in harm’s way. The Coast Guard will continue its role in protecting what is ours, peacefully and legally,” Gavan said. — Mark Ernest Villeza