Local fisherfolk in Palawan were alarmed when a Chinese vessel ran aground near Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Saturday, June 7, amid inclement weather.

According to the military, local fishermen spotted the vessel around 3 p.m. at about two nautical miles from the island while it was stationary.

The vessel resembled that of maritime militia boats used by China in its operations in the WPS, the military said.

“A Chinese vessel ran aground here near Pag-asa Island in Kalayaan. They should remove it. They might be replicating what ‘57’ did in Ayungin,” said Larry Hugo, a fisherman on Pag-asa Island.

He was referring to BRP Sierra Madre (LS57), which was deliberately ran aground by the Philippine Navy (PN) on Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in 1999 to assert the country’s claims in the area.

The Philippine Navy (PN) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) dispatched assets to check the situation on-site.

Captain Ellaine Rose Collado, public affairs officer of the Naval Western Command, said the intention of the Navy was to rescue any distressed crew of the Chinese vessel due to bad weather being experienced in the area.

Kalayaan Sangguniang Bayan member and vice mayor-elect Maurice Philip Albayda said the vessel was towed away by a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship and two smaller fishing vessels around 5:30 p.m.

“The Chinese vessel was removed but they left a marking on the waters. This should be removed, too,” Hugo said.

Pag-asa Island is located 270 nautical miles west of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. It is the largest of nine features occupied by the Philippines in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG).

In recent years, the military has observed that Chinese vessels are inching closer to Pag-asa Island as residents express worry about their creeping presence.

China claims several features in the WPS despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its dash-line claims within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

Source: Manila Bulletin.