Philippines sends AFP, PCG vessels to Escoda Shoal

MANILA, Philippines — Days after withdrawing its lone patrol from Escoda Shoal, the Philippines will reassert its claim over the area by deploying both coast guard and naval vessels to the shoal.

The National Maritime Council revealed the development yesterday, but declined to share details such as the number or types of ships involved. The NMC also did not say if the vessels are already in Escoda.

“Actually, it’s not only the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). We also have the presence of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. So it’s a combination of the assets,” NMC spokesman Alexander Lopez said at a forum in Quezon City.

Philippine Navy vessels are under the AFP. The PCG is a civilian agency attached to the Department of Transportation, unlike the China Coast Guard, which is under its military commission.

Lopez reiterated that the Philippines is maintaining its presence in Escoda, guarded for several months until last week by the PCG’s BRP Teresa Magbanua.

“I can’t say whether the ships are anchored or sailing. Like I said before, we’re making adjustments now,” Lopez said.

The Teresa Magbanua withdrew from Escoda Shoal to return to its base in Palawan to undergo repairs and allow its crew to have furlough and attend to their medical concerns. Its personnel were also treated for dehydration due to limited supplies.

“We’re adjusting our operational concept or modality. So, anchoring is one way, but I’m not saying we’re anchored,” Lopez said.

He stressed it is important to maintain physical presence in Escoda. “It’s better that they’re (China) guessing where we are. Because when they know where we are, that’s where they go. They’re like magnets,” Lopez said.

Speaking at the 25th National Maritime Week forum, PCG Commandant, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan issued a “reminder to all” to abide by international maritime laws to maintain global order.

Gavan said his message is “to remind all that we have international laws, we have the (United Nations) Law of the Sea, we have the arbitral award to govern our actions, in our behavior in dealing with others in the world.”

‘Stewards of the law’

He noted that the Philippines is one of the largest global suppliers of seafarers in the maritime and shipbuilding industies. “This also reminds us that all of us are stewards of the law. If we forget that we are governed by laws, then this would disrupt the order in the world,” Gavan said.

Asked if the reminder to observe international laws is addressed to other countries as well, the PCG Commandant said, “The message goes to all. The world is governed mostly by water so it is a reminder to all.”

Tensions between the Philippines and China continue as Beijing persists in its illegal claim over almost the entire South China Sea. Last Aug.31, China Coast Guard ships rammed the Teresa Magbanua without provocation.

Gavan also pointed out that waters around the Philippines should be seen as bridge for unity and not as potential flashpoint of conflict.

It is “what unifies us as a people. We can only be strong, as the unity that we have, as a maritime (country),” he added.

While government officials have been tight-lipped about deployment in the WPS, Gavan said “there has been no report of any adverse situation on the ground” as Philippine vessels head for Escoda.

He assured the public that the PCG has learned from its experience from its run-ins with Chinese vessels.

“We evolve, we adapt. We must continue forward, better than yesterday,” Gavan said.

“Just like what the National Maritime Council said, we will be maintaining a strategic presence all over the country,” he pointed out.

Asked about the number of Philippine ships in the WPS, Gavan replied, “We have a combination of operational options.”

“We are ‘ok’ as a country. The PCG, the Bureau of Fisheries (and Aquatic Resources), the Armed Forces of the Philippines, all other forms of government are working hand-in-hand,” he added. — Evelyn Macairan