A CHINESE marine research vessel operating near Philippine waters and two reported incidents involving the firing of flares at Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) aircraft have raised fresh concerns over Beijing’s activities in the West Philippine Sea.
Civic leader and national security expert Jose Antonio Goitia said the Chinese research vessel Haiyang Dizhi 12 Hao was detected on Sept. 5 about 186.68 nautical miles west-northwest of Bolinao, Pangasinan.
The vessel was spotted on Aug. 27 about 60 nautical miles west-northwest of El Nido, Palawan, and about 21 nautical miles east-northeast of the Malampaya natural gas field, he said.
Goitia said the vessel is capable of conducting offshore geological and geophysical surveys, including the collection of seabed and subsurface data.
He said its movements should be closely monitored because of its reported proximity to strategically important Philippine waters, particularly the area around the Malampaya gas field.
Goitia also expressed concern over China’s reported use of flares against PCG aircraft conducting maritime domain awareness flights in the West Philippine Sea.
The PCG earlier reported that Chinese forces fired flares as one of its aircraft conducted a routine maritime domain awareness flight in international airspace near Panganiban (Mischief) Reef.
The US Indo-Pacific Command later cited the incident as an example of what it described as dangerous and destabilizing Chinese actions in the South China Sea.
A second incident was reported when Chinese forces fired flares at a PCG Cessna Caravan conducting a maritime domain awareness flight over the Kalayaan Island Group. At least three flares were reportedly observed while the aircraft was operating near Subi Reef.
Goitia said the incidents should not deter the Philippines from continuing maritime patrols and surveillance operations in areas where it exercises rights under international law.
“A flare burns out in seconds. Our rights do not,” Goitia said. “The Philippines must continue its patrols. We cannot allow threats to decide where Filipinos can lawfully operate."
Goitia said the West Philippine Sea is important to Filipino fishermen and that PCG personnel conducting maritime domain awareness operations should not be forced to withdraw because of intimidation.
He said the Philippines should maintain its presence in the area while avoiding actions that could unnecessarily escalate tensions.
The 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Ruling found Panganiban Reef to be a low-tide elevation in its natural condition within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and incapable of appropriation as territory.
The tribunal also ruled that China’s construction activities at the reef violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
China has rejected the 2016 ruling and continues to maintain its claims over the South China Sea.
