A Chinese-flagged research vessel, “Shen Kuo,” is seen in the vicinity northeast of Viga, Catanduanes in this photo taken from a NOMAD N-22 aircraft of the Philippine Air Force. (Photo courtesy of AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — The research vessel spotted in the eastern section of the country was found to have turned off its tracking system which may be done to avoid detection.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said this was learned during the maritime patrol conducted for Shen Kuo on Thursday.
“As of today the maritime patrol mission is still ongoing and so we’re waiting for the final report but as of last report, the vessel already turned off its AIS (automatic identification system),” Padilla told reporters in a phone interview.
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Before this, the vessel did not respond to the AFP’s attempt for contact.
“There are also no responses to all of our communications when we’re trying to contact them so it says two things: either they don’t like to engage or either it’s actually a vessel in distress,” Padilla pointed out.
Over the weekend, the AFP initially reported that the Shen Kuo was spotted off Viga town in Catanduanes.
Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, on Tuesday also revealed that Shen Kuo was laying out an unidentified piece of equipment around 100 miles east of Catanduanes.
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Padilla said: “With that equipment they are trying to see the ocean bed.”
This is the second time this year alone that a Chinese research vessel was spotted in the country’s eastern section near the Philippine (Benham) Rise—a 24-million-hectare undersea feature part of the Philippine continental shelf and is inside the country’s exclusive economic zone—as two Chinese research vessels were spotted there last month.