AFP contingency set on Phl vessel towing

A military official stated on Wednesday that contingencies are in place should China attempt to tow the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Teresa Magbanua at Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the WPS, said the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command is prepared to respond if tensions at Escoda Shoal escalate.

“That’s one of the options the other side could take, but there are already contingencies in place,” Trinidad said in a television interview. “Western Command knows what to do if this situation escalates.”

China has been demanding the removal of the PCG vessel from Escoda Shoal and has even filed a diplomatic protest against the Philippines and despite China’s demands, the Philippines has maintained its sovereign rights over the Escoda Shoal, which lies 75 nautical miles from the coast of mainland Palawan.

Escoda Shoal is part of the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone.

Trinidad previously explained that the PCG’s deployment of the BRP Teresa Magbanua primarily aims to track and monitor the sudden presence of crushed corals in the area.

Last month, the 97-meter PCG vessel sustained damages after it was repeatedly rammed by a China Coast Guard vessel. Escoda Shoal was also surrounded by numerous Chinese vessels for the past week, including eight CCG vessels, five People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels, and 55 Chinese Maritime Militia swarming the areas from 3 to 9 September.