Subic eyed as PCG fleet base

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) announced recently that it considers building a fleet base at Subic in Zambales.

According to PCG Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, they are now identifying possible locations of port facilities that can accommodate bigger ships.

“On the issue of a port facility for these bigger ships, we are working toward the establishment of our fleet base in Subic”, he said.

Gavan added that they are also looking at the areas within Manila Bay for the project.

The PCG came up with the idea of building a fleet base after the continuous incursions of Chinese naval patrol ships into the Philiippine territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea.

Aside from a new Coast Guard fleet base, Gavan said that they are also beefing up their personnel with 4,000 new recruits this year and another 4,000 expected next year.

“We expect to be manned by at least 105,000 coast guards,” he added.

Meanwhile, in a latest incident involving Chinese ships in Philippine territorial waters, a Chinese-flagged bulk carrier rammed a Philippine fishing boat off Palauan, Occidental Mindoro Tuesday afternoon. The incident left five fishermen drifting in the water.

The PCG confirmed last week that the MV Tai Hang 8, which figured in the allision with the FBCA Ruel J, was of Chinese registry.

An allision is a maritime term referring to an accident where a moving vessel runs into a stationary one.

Capt. Edyson Abanilla, station commander of Coast Guard Oriental Mindoro, said the incident occurred in the waters between Occidental Mindoro and Palawan, which is part of the West Philippine Sea.

The fishing boat was moored to a fishing aggregation device when it was hit by the Chinese ship.

In a statement, the PCG said the ill-fated fishing banca Ruel J and its crew, allegedly hit by MV Tai Hang 8, was said to have been left adrift as the foreign vessel continued its voyage unknowingly,”.

The PCG vowed to go after the Chinese vessel to answer accordingly to the said incident that happened within the Philippine waters.