PCG sees Chinese ‘script change’ on sovereignty

MANILA, Philippines — In a radio challenge that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has found “intriguing,” the Chinese did not mention “indisputable sovereignty” in their attempt last Monday to keep Filipinos out of Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG’s spokesman on WPS issues, noted what he called “revision of the script” for the radio challenge from a China Coast Guard vessel 5303 in the vicinity of the shoal.

The CCG vessel – last spotted around 39 nautical miles off the coast of Pangasinan – and the PCG’s 97-meter patrol ship BRP Teresa Magbanua exchanged radio challenges, with the latter warning the Chinese ship that it was illegally sailing within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone in violation of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award.

In the following radio communication, the Chinese ship said it was on a “law-based routine patrol in the maritime area under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China” and warned the Teresa Magbanua not to interfere.

“It is intriguing that within just 24 hours, the Chinese Coast Guard has revised the script for its English radio challenge,” Tarriela wrote on X.

“I am curious as to why they have chosen to omit their previous claims of indisputable sovereignty in today’s radio challenge,” he added.

“The Philippine Coast Guard will continue to patrol the area diligently.”