CHINESE MILITIA MESSELS COMING CLOSER TO PALAWAN

6:00 am December 7, 2022

Dozens of Chinese vessels believed to be manned by their maritime militias in the West
Philippine Sea have been moving much closer to Palawan in recent months, including waters
near the sites of an aborted Philippines-China joint energy exploration plan, a top military
official said on Tuesday.
“I confirm the swarming presence of Chinese fishing vessels in Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal
since early this year,” Western Command chief Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, the most senior
military officer who watches over the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea, told the
Inquirer.
The vessels, ostensibly for fishing, have remained in these waters despite diplomatic protests
against their presence, Carlos said.
‘Militia hot spots’
“Through continuing diplomacy and dialogue, we hope for these vessels to leave our exclusive
economic zone (EEZ) soon,” he said.
Carlos made the remarks when asked by the Inquirer to comment on a report last month by the
Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (Amti) which said that Chinese vessels had spread out
across “militia hot spots,” including Iroquois Reef, from September 2021 through September
2022.
Constant presence
Iroquois Reef is located 237 kilometers from Palawan’s Rizal town, and 148 km southwest of
Recto (Reed) Bank, an area believed to be rich in oil and gas where China wants to conduct a
joint exploration with the Philippines within the country’s 370-km EEZ.
President Marcos recently said the government was looking for other ways to explore resources
as the maritime dispute with Beijing had become a “roadblock.” The government firmly asserts
that any joint energy exploration must comply with Philippine laws. (See related story on this
page.)
Satellite images reviewed by Amti showed that Chinese ships had constant presence at Iroquois
Reef throughout the 12-month period ending in September 2022—ranging from two to almost
30 vessels.
Most militia vessels have established a “pattern” of heading home for the holidays from
December to early February, Amti said.
Carlos said an average of 25 ships were monitored at Iroquois Reef from September to
December this year.
At Sabina Shoal, 135 km from Palawan, there was an average of 20 vessels during the same
period. Chinese ships used to have occasional presence at the shoal and in smaller numbers.

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