PCG: 17 fishers rescued near Bajo de Masinloc
In a statement, PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said the BRP Teresa Magbanua received a distress signal from the fishing vessel, FB Cassandra, on Thursday morning.
Tarriela noted that the rescue operation was urgent as FB Cassandra was stranded within the expected drop zone for China's rocket launch test between July 15 and 17.
The PCG vessel launched a towing operation despite rough seas with wave heights of up to six feet and winds moving up to 30 kph.
On Friday morning, BRP Teresa Magbanua reached the vicinity waters near Mariveles, Bataan where the towing line was transferred to tugboat TB Lucida for the final leg of the journey.
"During the operation, a medical team onboard BRP Teresa Magbanua conducted an initial health assessment of the crew, identifying one member with a hypertensive condition, who received immediate medical attention," Tarriela said.
Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal, is key maritime feature that China claims as its own in the West Philippine Sea.
The shoal is a triangular coral reef formation that surrounds a lagoon and is famed for its rich marine resources.
Last June, the Philippines accused China Coast Guard ships of carrying out aggressive maneuvers and targeting its fisheries vessels with water cannons while they were delivering supplies to Filipino fishermen to Scarborough Shoal.
Bajo de Masinloc is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and is considered within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."
China refused to recognize the ruling. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
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