 PCG: 'Monster ship' closest deployment yet by China to PH

Rowegie Abanto

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1736917171016Monster-ship.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="China Coast Guard&#x27;s &quot;monster ship&quot; off the coast of Zambales, January 12, 2025. Handout/Philippine Coast Guard"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">China Coast Guard&#x27;s &quot;monster ship&quot; off the coast of Zambales, January 12, 2025. <em>Handout/Philippine Coast Guard</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday said that China&#x27;s &quot;monster ship&quot; deployed off Zambales in Luzon was so far Beijing&#x27;s closest vessel yet to the Philippine coastline.</p><p>The PCG first detected the 12,000-ton China Coast Guard vessel some 54 nautical miles away from Capones Island on Saturday — the closest it sailed near the country&#x27;s coastline and well within the nation&#x27;s exclusive economic zone, Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG&#x27;s spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, confirmed to ABS-CBN News in a message.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/14/philippines-says-alarmed-by-chinese-ships-moving-closer-to-shore-1339">Philippines says alarmed by Chinese ships moving closer to shore</a></div><p>The Chinese ship has been &quot;loitering&quot; the area for around 11 days already and now moving at a &quot;very slow pace&quot; some 60-90 nautical miles away from the province as of Wednesday, Tarriela said in an interview on ANC.</p><p>&quot;This particular deployment is questionable because this is the first time that the China Coast Guard deployed that close to our exclusive economic zone... this has never happened before,&quot; he said.</p><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABTDxV2RQAU9Ia44&amp;activation=adfill&amp;vip_mode=no"></script><p>Tarriela called the China ship&#x27;s deployment &quot;illegal,&quot; noting that they have been challenging its presence every day through radio communication. </p><p>&quot;The Chinese Coast Guard does not have the legal authority to patrol within our own exclusive economic zone,&quot; he said, adding that China&#x27;s maritime law enforcement operations in the Philippine waters were &quot;illegitimate.&quot; </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/14/philippines-tells-china-to-withdraw-monster-ship-near-zambales-1509">Philippines tells China to withdraw monster ship near Zambales</a></div><p>The PCG immediately deployed the BRP Cabra and a caravan reconnaissance aircraft to intercept and monitor the unescorted Chinese ship when it detected its presence on Saturday. </p><p>Tarriela said BRP Gabriela Silang was monitoring the monster ship at a distance of 300-500 yards &quot;to make sure that the Chinese government will have difficulty in maneuvering closer to Zambales.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/12/china-deploys-monster-ship-off-zambales-as-pcg-pushes-away-other-chinese-vessel-1614">China deploys ‘monster ship’ off Zambales coast as PCG ship pushes away other Chinese vessel</a></div><p>The PCG official said that China wanted to &quot;normalize&quot; its deployment of China Coast Guard vessels in the area &quot;to alter the status quo.&quot;</p><p>National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya earlier said China&#x27;s deployment of its largest coast guard vessel inside the Philippines&#x27; exclusive economic zone was alarming and intended to intimidate Filipino fishermen.</p><p>&quot;It is clearly a provocative act and a clear attempt to intimidate our fishermen and deprive them of their legitimate livelihood,&quot; Malaya said.</p><p>&quot;We were surprised by the increase in aggression being shown by the PRC [People&#x27;s Republic of China] in deploying the monster ship. The monster ship is not close to Bajo de Masinloc but it is getting closer to the Philippine coastline. That is alarming,&quot; he said.</p><p>The Philippines has sent <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/13/pilipinas-naghain-ng-bagong-protesta-laban-sa-china-2131">a fresh diplomatic protest</a> to China over the presence of the monster ship off Zambales.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nZnhGuf5kDw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Philippine Coast Guard on Wednesday said that China's "monster ship" deployed off Zambales in Luzon was so far Beijing's closest vessel yet to the Philippine coastline.</p>

The Philippine Coast Guard on Wednesday said that China's "monster ship" deployed off Zambales in Luzon was so far Beijing's closest vessel yet to the Philippine coastline.

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PCG: 'Monster ship' closest deployment yet by China to PH coastline

PCG: 'Monster ship' closest deployment yet by China to PH coastline

Rowegie Abanto,

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 15, 2025 01:04 PM PHT

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