Maritime council rules out deployment of PH warships to Panatag

MANILA, Philippines — The National Maritime Council (NMC) on Monday ruled out the possibility of deploying Philippine Navy warships to Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, deeming it a “warlike” move.

NMC spokesperson Alexander Lopez made this clear despite a Chinese vessel’s harassment of a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) mission on Aug. 11 at the shoal and the presence of a Chinese fighter jet during the PCG’s inspection of the disputed area two days later.

READ: Chinese ships collide while pursuing PH vessel

Lopez backed the earlier statement of National Security Adviser Eduardo Año that the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources under the Department of Agriculture—both civilian agencies—would remain the lead agencies in future missions to Panatag.

“We will not deploy our navy there to match their navy. Why? Once you deploy a navy vessel there, you come in warlike ... It’s like you are challenging them,” Lopez said in a press briefing. “That is not the policy stand of our government.”



He said the direct participation of a Navy warship could be seen as provocative and escalatory.

Not cowardice

“We will not provoke, because we don’t know what will happen if two Navy vessels are there, because miscalculation and misjudgment could happen, and that is the thing we do not want,” he added.

“Just because we don’t deploy does it mean we are being cowards? No,” he said. “We are just being prudent; we are just being practical. And we do not want this situation to escalate.”

In what maritime experts deemed as an escalatory move, a 157-meter People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) warship with hull no. 164 joined the blocking operations against the PCG’s BRP Suluan on Aug. 11, leading to the Chinese warship colliding with a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship with hull no. 3104.

Both Chinese ships suffered damage, with CCG-3104’s forecastle being crushed, while BRP Suluan managed to evade the maneuver.

The PCG vessel, along with BRP Teresa Magbanua, was escorting the M/V Pamamalakaya, which was in the area to assist about 35 Filipino fishing vessels.

Two days later, the PCG’s Cessna Caravan was intercepted by a PLA-N Air Force J-15 fighter jet above the waters off Panatag.

Despite such moves, Lopez said the government would address the conflict “in the most peaceful manner.”

“If this escalates, it will not be in the best interest of the country; it is not even in the best interest of China in that matter and to the region,” Lopez said. “We might as well tone it down and bring it to a level we could manage, otherwise, we don’t know what will happen.”

Nevertheless, the NMC spokesperson said the government is prepared for any scenario.

“We do have contingency measures ready,” he said, without further going into details. /cb

(2025/08/19-05:20)

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