PCG ship at Escoda Shoal not a permanent outpost

The Philippine Coast Guard on Saturday brushed off disinformation that its largest ship, BRP Teresa Magbanua, is deployed at the Escoda Shoal to serve as the country’s another permanent outpost in the West Philippine Sea.

In a news forum in Quezon City, PCG spokesperson for the WPS, Commodore Jay Tarriela, said the 97-meter multi-role response vessel (MRRV) was only stationed at Escoda Shoal to monitor the suspected reclamation works by the Chinese in the area. 

“The Philippine Coast Guard vessel 9701 or BRP Teresa Magbanua has been maintaining our presence there for more than two months now,” he said.

“Regardless of whatever comments the Chinese are saying — whether they are implicating that this is just another Sierra Madre or this is a way for us to violate anything na sinasabi nila (they would say) — I think we don't have to listen to them,” Tarriela stressed. 

He then reiterated that the deployment objective of the PCG’s most expensive vessel “is only to advance our national interest and to safeguard our position in Escoda Shoal.”

“So, we don't pay so much attention to the comments of the Chinese government,” he added.