Chinese vessel blocks Philippine coast guard ship near Bajo de Masinloc

On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that a Chinese Coast Guard vessel 'dangerously blocked' BRP Cabra during a maritime patrol near Bajo de Masinloc on Monday, April 14.

According to PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela, CCG vessel 21612 sped up and maneuvered past BRP Cabra's port side, obstructing its navigation route around 36 nautical miles south of Scarborough Shoal, showing non-compliance with international maritime safety regulations.

Tarriela emphasized that the area falls within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as per the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award.

BRP Cabra continued its routine patrols off the coast of Zambales to counter China's attempts to normalize its presence in waters claimed by the Philippines, while also monitoring a Chinese research vessel Zhong Shan Da Xue near Batanes on Tuesday morning.

Despite multiple attempts at radio communication from PCG Islander, there was no response from the Chinese research vessel, which Tarriela noted lacks legal authority to conduct marine scientific research within the country's EEZ.