Latest news with #BRPTeresaMagbanua
Newsweek
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
China and US Ally in Maritime Confrontation Near Disputed Territory
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. China and the Philippines have traded salvos over a confrontation near the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Philippine Coast Guard for comment outside of office hours. Why It Matters China claims sovereignty over nearly all islands and reefs in the South China Sea, citing historical rights. These claims overlap with those of several other countries in the region, including the United States' defense treaty ally, the Philippines. Scarborough Shoal, known in the Philippines as Bajo de Masinloc and in China as Huangyan Island, is a rich fishing ground and a flashpoint in a territorial dispute that has intensified since 2023, as the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has challenged the expanding Chinese patrols within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. Clashes have seen the Chinese side engage in ramming and deploying water cannons that damaged Philippine vessels and caused injuries. A Chinese coast guard ship shadows the Philippine BRP Datu Tamblot near the Scarborough Shoal on February 15, 2024. A Chinese coast guard ship shadows the Philippine BRP Datu Tamblot near the Scarborough Shoal on February 15, 2024. Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images What To Know Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account run by state broadcaster China Central Television, released footage on Wednesday showing a confrontation between the coast guards of the two countries at Scarborough Shoal the previous day. The video accused the Philippine vessel, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, of "deliberately and dangerously" approaching its two Chinese counterparts, CCG-21550 and CCG-5009, and cutting across their bows at distances as close as 100 meters (328 feet). "The Philippine vessel repeatedly made sharp turns at close range and sped up. Such provocative behavior was even more frequent this time than in the past," the video claimed, accusing the Southeast Asian nation of violating maritime law. On July 15, PCG vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua, operating in the waters near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, deliberately provoked the CCG vesels that were conducting rights protection and law enforcement operations in the area. — SCS Probing Initiative (@SCS_PI) July 16, 2025 Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela refuted China's account of the incident on Thursday. "BRP Teresa Magbanua was lawfully conducting a maritime patrol within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, as established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award, to safeguard Filipino fishermen and uphold our sovereign rights in this part of the West Philippine Sea," Tarriela said, using Manila's term for the swath of South China Sea lying within the zone. "In contrast, the China Coast Guard vessels were operating unlawfully in these waters, aggressively obstructing our navigation route by speeding up and dangerously crossing close to our vessel in an attempt to intimidate and harass our personnel," he added. The official called the actions of the Chinese side "part of a recurring pattern of coercion." The 2016 award he referenced was a Hague-based arbitral tribunal's decision that rejected China's sweeping South China Sea claims. Beijing refused to participate in the proceedings and maintains the award is invalid. Scarborough Shoal lies about 140 miles west of the Philippines' populous Luzon Island and nearly 700 miles from China's southernmost province, Hainan. China seized effective control over the waters around the shoal in 2012, following a standoff after Philippine forces attempted to arrest Chinese fishermen. What People Are Saying The Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank's Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, in a June report: "Remote sensing data from the past ten months shows that China's presence has expanded to include additional patrols east of the feature aimed at intercepting Philippine ships, leading to frequent encounters between the two countries' law enforcement vessels." What Happens Next China is likely to continue sending its coast guard and naval ships into the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, in what analysts describe as an effort to gradually normalize its presence there. The Marcos administration is expected to persist in shadowing Chinese vessels within the zone and publicizing their movements. The president has pledged not to cede "one square inch" of Philippine territory.
GMA Network
13-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
PCG: 2 China warships spotted off Occidental Mindoro
One of two People's Liberation Army Navy warships sails off Cabra Island, Occidental Mindoro on Friday, July 12, 2025. PCG The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has monitored two vessels of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA) of China in the waters off Occidental Mindoro. In a statement on Saturday, PCG said the Chinese warships were observed 69.31 nautical miles off Cabra Island. PCG's BRP Teresa Magbanua radio challenged PLA Navy warship 793, but there was no response from the vessel. Instead, its escort, China Coast Guard 4203, replied, asserting China's sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. PCG also noted that the two Chinese vessels were joined by PLA Navy warship 164. 'The movements of these vessels have necessitated several radio challenges from the PCG throughout the day, without response from the PLA Navy warships,' PCG said. 'Additionally, it has been observed that PLA Navy warship 164 is conducting helicopter landing exercises on its flight deck, with continuous activity recorded throughout the morning,' it added. Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. 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, but the latter refused to recognize the decision. —KG, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
Philippine Navy to inspect Japanese warships for possible transfer
The Philippine Navy is set to inspect Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's (JMSDF) Abukuma-class destroyer escorts as part of ongoing discussions on a possible transfer of the warships to the Philippines. Navy spokesperson Capt. John Percie Alcos said a team of naval experts will be dispatched to Japan for a joint visual inspection, following an official invitation from the Japanese Ministry of Defense. 'This planned inspection forms part of exploratory discussions on the possible transfer of these naval assets to the Philippines,' Alcos said in a statement released Sunday. The Abukuma-class destroyers are designed for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare. If acquired, the vessels are expected to strengthen the Philippine Navy's maritime defense capabilities, particularly in the West Philippine Sea. The Navy said the initiative reflects the deepening strategic partnership between the Philippines and Japan, and supports both countries' commitment to maritime security, interoperability, and regional stability. The planned inspection comes after both countries ratified the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which facilitates joint military exercises, humanitarian missions, and temporary deployment of troops by easing legal and logistical barriers. Japan has been a key defense partner of the Philippines in recent years having supplied two 97-meter multi-role response vessels, BRP Teresa Magbanua and BRP Melchora Aquino, which are actively deployed in patrol operations in the West Philippine Sea.
GMA Network
25-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
PCG strengthens regional maritime ties with Japan, US in trilateral exercise
The Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) docks at Pier 13 in Port Area, Manila on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, after participating in the 2nd Trilateral Maritime Exercise. DANNY PATA The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has reaffirmed its commitment to regional maritime safety and security through the successful completion of a joint trilateral maritime exercise with the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) and the US Coast Guard (USCG) in Kagoshima, Japan. The PCG vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) arrived at the Port of Manila on Wednesday morning following its participation in the 2nd Trilateral Maritime Exercise which had drills that aimed to strengthen cooperation among allied maritime forces in the Indo-Pacific. The joint exercise, held in alignment with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., featured several key operations, including a communication exercise (COMMEX), search and rescue exercise (SAREX), fire fighting exercise (FFEX), photo exercise (PHOTOEX), and exercise on transfer of personnel. Welcoming the 123-member Coast Guard delegation was Rear Admiral Hostillo Arturo Cornelio, PCG deputy commandant for administration, who represented PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil L. Gavan. 'This trilateral exercise is a demonstration of solidarity and shared commitment among partner nations. Through activities like these, we not only enhance our capabilities but also reinforce trust and understanding between our Coast Guards,' the PCG said in a statement. The joint maritime drills emphasized interoperability, allowing the three nations to simulate coordinated responses to maritime emergencies and natural disasters. Beyond tactical readiness, the exercise also provided an avenue for exchanging best practices, improving operational coordination, and reinforcing the shared goal of maintaining safety, security, and stability across Indo-Pacific waters. The initiative underscores the Philippines' strategic focus on maritime cooperation amid growing regional challenges, particularly in contested waters. It follows a series of similar engagements with regional and global allies, affirming the country's resolve to uphold rules-based order and freedom of navigation. The PCG has expressed gratitude to both Japan and the United States for their continued support and partnership, noting that future collaborative efforts are underway to sustain momentum and deepen maritime ties. —Sherylin Untalan/KG, GMA Integrated News
Free Malaysia Today
23-06-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Japan-US-Philippines coast guards simulate crisis amid China threat
Yesterday's drills began with a simulation of a person falling overboard. (AFP pic) ON BOARD THE ASANAGI : Helicopters buzzed in the shadow of a smouldering volcano and boats rescued dummies from the sea this week in a show of maritime unity by Japan, the US and the Philippines. The joint coast guard exercises held off Japan's southwest shore follow a warning from the three countries about Chinese activity in disputed regional waters. Tensions between China and other claimants to parts of the East and South China Seas have pushed Japan to deepen ties with the Philippines and the US. This week marked the second time the countries' coast guards have held training drills together, and the first in Japan. They took place over five days off the coast of Kagoshima, where Sakurajima volcano dominates the skyline, quietly puffing out smoke and ash. Dozens of personnel took part, with yesterday's final exercises featuring one vessel from each of the three countries' coast guards. They included the BRP Teresa Magbanua, which was provided to the Philippines by Japan through a loan agreement. The 2,265-tonne vessel, named after a schoolteacher and revolutionary, usually monitors Chinese boats in the South China Sea. China and the Philippines have engaged in months of confrontations in the contested waters, which Beijing claims almost entirely, despite an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis. Chinese and Japanese patrol vessels in the East China Sea also routinely face off around disputed islands. Yesterday, Manila accused China of using a water cannon on two of its fisheries department boats as they attempted to resupply Philippine fishermen near the disputed Scarborough Shoal. Man overboard! The US coast guard was represented in the exercises by the Cutter Stratton, which can carry up to 170 personnel, and Japan by the 6,000-ton Asanagi. Yesterday's drills began with a simulation of a person falling overboard. Once the dummy, wearing a bright red lifejacket, was in the water, a US drone was launched from the Stratton, circling high above as it scanned the area. A small Philippine rescue boat then emerged from the Teresa Magbanua, zipping across the water before coast guard personnel fished the dummy out of the water. Other rescue scenarios enacted included a Japanese helicopter racing from shore to pull a human subject from the sea. The helicopter's rotor blades whipped up the calm blue waters, where the occasional small hammerhead shark could be seen idly swimming alongside the Asanagi. The exercises concluded with a simulated collision and fire, with all three coast guards blasting the stricken vessel with their water cannons. Trust-building Japan coast guard official Naofumi Tsumura said the joint exercises had 'built mutual understanding and trust'. 'More than anything, we have strengthened coordination and cooperation between us,' he said. In 2024, the three countries issued a joint statement that included strong language aimed at Beijing. 'We express our serious concerns about the People's Republic of China's (PRC) dangerous and aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea,' it said, describing 'dangerous and coercive use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels'. They also expressed 'strong opposition to any attempts by the PRC to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea'. This week's joint exercises were the first since the statement was released. Tsumura said there were small details that could have worked better and vowed to improve in future collaborations. He said the three countries' coast guards had 'come to understand each other better, or as the Japanese often say, to know each other by face'. 'I believe we are now able to conduct maritime rescue operations more effectively,' he said.
