PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — Two Chinese warships were reportedly spotted near Bancalaan in Balabac town on 19 June, according to Roy Reyes, a former barangay captain.
Reyes, accompanied by Dr. Arnie Estrobo of the Adventist Hospital Palawan and Palawan State University, said they noticed the warships while returning from an ophthalmology mission on Mangsee Island in Balabac.
“We were passing through Onok and Camiaran islands when we saw one of two Chinese warships with the marking “#105” less than a kilometer away,” Reyes said.
The doctor said they first thought it was the BRP Antonio Luna because it’s the largest ship of the Philippines.
“We saw a Chinese flag. Usually, international cargo ships pass through here on their way to Kudat, Malaysia. It’s our first time to see this,” he added.
Estrobo recounted that they were on top of their vessel and feeling dizzy but were suddenly jolted awake by the sight of the Chinese warship crossing their path.
The doctor said they first thought it was the BRP Antonio Luna because it’s the largest ship of the Philippines.
“I was looking for the name but couldn’t find it, and then we saw the flag of China. That’s when our boat’s captain immediately raised the Philippine flag, probably to warn them that this is still Philippine territory,” he said.
His background as an eye doctor, Estrobo explained that the eyes’ ability to identify details diminishes beyond one kilometer. Therefore, if they could clearly see the Chinese flag, the warship must have been less than a kilometer away.
A reliable source said that if one of the warships was marked 105, it could have been the Chinese Dalian guided-missile destroyer, known for its involvement in drills amid rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
Reyes pointed out that there is a proposed international sea lane through the Balabac Strait for maritime passage, but this has not yet been approved. This route has long been used by international ships carrying cargo to Kudat, Malaysia.