National Security Council spokesperson Jonathan Malaya refuted recent China’s claim that it drove away a Philippine Coast Guard vessel patrolling off Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
Malaya, in a chance interview, pressed that China’s claims “have no basis” as the PCG’s BRP Teresa Magbanua is still operating in the vicinity of the maritime feature.
“There’s no truth about that claim. It’s a figment of their imagination,” he said.
“Our coast guard vessel is still there. It’s still patrolling. What they are saying that they drove away our Coast Guard vessels has no basis,” he added.
The Philippines recognized the Scarborough shoal—approximately 120 nautical miles west of Luzon—as a traditional fishing ground for fishermen in Zambales, Bataan, and Pangasinan.