Estrada slams reported Chinese blockade near Sandy Cay

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada on Friday expressed deep concern over reports that a Philippine government vessel was blocked by Chinese maritime militia ships while on a routine mission near Sandy Cay in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

According to the report, the BRP Datu Romapenet, a vessel operated by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), was on its way to conduct a fisheries monitoring mission when it was allegedly obstructed by Chinese vessels operating in the area.

Estrada called on the relevant Philippine authorities to immediately verify the incident, stressing that if confirmed, it would be a clear violation of Philippine sovereignty and an act of harassment against a vessel lawfully operating within the country’s maritime domain.

“I urge the concerned agencies to validate this information, as the incident—if verified—would constitute a serious breach of our sovereign rights and harassment of a Philippine-flagged vessel conducting a legitimate monitoring mission within our own maritime domain,” the senator said.

Further, Estrada condemned what he described as a pattern of aggressive actions by Chinese forces in Philippine waters, targeting both civilian and government maritime personnel.

“Hindi na mabilang ang ganitong insidente na nararanasan ng ating civilian at government maritime personnel sa kamay ng dayuhang pilit tayong itinataboy sa ating sariling karagatan (These kinds of incidents have become too frequent, where our civilian and government maritime personnel are being driven away from our own waters),” he said.

Estrada, who chairs the Senate Committee on Defense, warned against normalizing such intimidation, saying it not only undermines the country’s rights under international law but also puts Filipino lives at risk.

Should the report be verified, Estrada called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to take swift and firm action.

“If proven true, the Department of Foreign Affairs should file a diplomatic protest, demand accountability from the Chinese government, and assert our rights under international law.”

He also reiterated that the Filipino people deserve a government that resolutely defends national sovereignty and protects those serving in Philippine waters.

“Our kababayans deserve nothing less than a government that firmly stands its ground in asserting our sovereignty and defending our nation’s interests.”

It was Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Ray Powell, director of the SeaLight project at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, who reported that the BFAR vessel was forced to turn back after being blocked by three Chinese maritime militia ships near Sandy Cay on Wednesday morning.

Citing the SeaLight project’s monitoring of the incident, Powell said the BFAR vessel BRP Datu Romapenet departed Pag-asa (Thitu) Island at around 7:45 a.m., en route to Sandy Cay, a cluster of sandbars west of the island, which is claimed by both the Philippines and China.

By approximately 9 a.m., the Romapenet was forced to reverse course and return to Pag-asa Island after encountering at least three Chinese vessels blocking its path, Powell said.

Satellite-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) data confirmed the vessel's coordinates at 11.0567°N, 114.2467°E, moving west-northwest at a heading of 288 degrees and a speed of 7.4 kilometers per hour at the time.

The AIS data also identified the presence of several Chinese-flagged vessels in the vicinity, including the Qiong Sanshayu 106I and Qiong Sanshayu 122—both believed to be part of China’s state-backed maritime militia—as well as China Coast Guard vessel 3302, all operating near Sandy Cay.