The Philippine Navy dismissed the notion that the presence of China Coast Guard 5901, the world's largest coast guard ship also known as “The Monster”, in the Escoda (Sabina) Shoal is a seeming standoff.
“There is no standoff,” navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said in a press conference on Tuesday at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
The Philippine Coast Guard earlier confirmed that the "monster ship" anchored within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone on 3 July.
Weeks prior to anchoring, the PCG said the "monster ship" had been patrolling within the Philippine waters.
Trinidad said the Armed Forces of the Philippines will “ensure the integrity” of Philippine territory, assuring that the situation in the Escoda Shoal will not be likened to the 2012 standoff in Scarborough Shoal.
“Not only that, but we have to ensure that what is ours will remain ours,” he noted.
“The Philippine Navy has its own patrol plans through the Naval Forces West. So our vessels in the West Philippine Sea has increased in the past months, past six months to one year,” he said.
“We have our plans, not only for Escoda. All our plans are anchored on all our past experiences and current capabilities,” he added.
Despite China’s continuing intimidation tactics, Trinidad said the Philippine military will “not leave” Escoda shoal and other eight key features in the WPS.
“We have almost all of our capital ships already being assigned or doing routine patrols in the West Philippine Sea, not only because of the monster ship,” he said.
Escoda shoal, a coral reef formation with a central lagoon surrounded by discontinuous shallow sections, is located 75 nautical miles or about 140 kilometers from mainland Palawan.