By Junex Doronio
MANILA — In a move reflecting lessons learned in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines has adopted a new strategy of keeping operational details confidential during patrols, an official from the National Maritime Council (NMC) revealed.
Undersecretary Alexander Lopez, an NMC spokesperson, said the Philippines will refrain from disclosing information about its patrol missions, keeping details “close to our chest” to avoid telegraphing moves to China.
Ray Powell, director of South China Sea monitor SeaLight, noted he could not detect any Philippine ships at Escoda Shoal. He suggested the vessels may have turned off their automatic identification system (AIS) to avoid detection.
“It’s actually better for them (China) to be guessing where we are. If they know, they’ll go straight there like a magnet. So, our approach is to avoid revealing our positions as much as possible,” Lopez explained during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
In a separate interview, Coast Guard Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan declined to provide specifics about the deployment. “We are everywhere,” he quipped.
However, Gavan confirmed that Chinese vessels continue to loiter around Escoda Shoal, a 136-square-kilometer reef located about 70 nautical miles off the Palawan mainland, well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Coast Guard Rear Admiral Armando Balilo, PCG spokesperson, added that the Philippines has deployed a Coast Guard vessel to the area, reassuring the public that patrol operations are ongoing.
“We have patrol operations in the area, and we assure our citizens that the Coast Guard will not neglect its duties in maintaining a presence there,” Balilo said.
ia/mnm