Philippine Navy prepared for Chinese ship grounding contingencies

A Philippine Navy official stated that appropriate contingency measures are in place should Chinese maritime forces deliberately ground their ships in the West Philippine Sea.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad emphasized during a press briefing on Tuesday that while the navy does not speculate, it is prepared for any eventuality and noted that coordination was immediately done with the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

A Chinese vessel-resembling those used by the Chinese maritime militia-with bow number 16838 ran aground in waters off the eastern part of Pag-asa Island in the Kalayaan Island Group on Saturday due to adverse weather conditions.

The ship extricated itself some two hours later, and the PCG dispatched a rubber boat to check for safety and environmental damage; there were no reports of significant harm to life or equipment initially.

Inclement weather might have caused the Chinese vessel to run aground, characterized by wave heights of 2 to 3 meters and strong winds, with PCG personnel stationed at Pag-asa Island reaching out but receiving no response from the grounded vessel.

The Philippine Coast Guard is preparing to assess any environmental damage on Pag-asa Reef 1 due to the unlawful presence of the Chinese maritime militia in the Philippines' territorial waters.