CCG tails PH research ship headed for Bajo de Masinloc

The Chinese Coast Guard met and tailed the Philippine research vessel BRP H Ventura and the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Gabriela Silang early Sunday morning as the Philippine vessels were sailing for the Bajo de Masinloc.

According to Mav Gonzales’ Super Radyo dzBB report, international advocacy group SeaLight Director Ray Powell said that the Philippine vessels had halted for eight hours 35 nautical miles from Luzon’s coast – the limit of China’s nine-dash line.

While it was unclear why the Philippine ships had halted for several hours, they eventually set sail for the Bajo de Masinloc, also known as the Scarborough Shoal, at 10 a.m., with the CCG shadowing them.

Powell added that an unusually large number of Chinese vessels had been gathering at the shoal for the past two days.

He speculated that this could be China’s response to the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority’s announcement that the Philippines would conduct a hydrographic survey in the area.

Hydrographic surveys map the physical features of an underwater area.

Powell said that China had harassed Vietnam as the latter conducted its hydrographic survey of its exclusive economic zone, even allegedly attempting to cut the cables of Vietnamese equipment.

The SeaLight director thus suggested that the Philippines be on guard against any actions China would take against the hydrographic survey. — DVM, GMA Integrated News