The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday said that they again spotted several foreign vessels during a maritime patrol mission of the BRP Malapascua in the Kalayaan Island Group.
The said record was tallied from March 16 to 21.
According to the PCG, at the Sabina Shoal, some twenty Chinese and Vietnamese vessels were monitored, including two CCGVs with bow numbers 5304 and 5305.
They also said that BRP Malapascua had encountered a PLAN vessel with bow number 649 within Pag-Asa Island’s twelve nautical mile territorial waters.
While patrolling in Ayungin Shoal, BRP Malapascua was shadowed by CCGV 5201.
The vessel came as close as 1.2 nautical miles from the grounded Philippine Navy vessel BRP Sierra Madre during the encounter.
Catherine R. Cueto
