NSC disputes China report on PCG vessel driven away from Scarborough Shoal

Scarborough Shoal. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — China did not drive away a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel patrolling off Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, according to National Security Council spokesperson Jonathan Malaya.

“It’s a figment of their imagination,” Malaya told reporters in a phone interview on Tuesday, adding that China’s claim has “no basis.”

Chinese state-backed publication Global Times said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) Monday that CCG drove away a PCG vessel off Scarborough Shoal. It did not provide further details.

But Malaya said the BRP Teresa Magbanua is still patrolling in the vicinity of the   maritime feature.

“Our coast guard vessel is there, it’s still patrolling,” Malaya said.

Scarborough Shoal is a traditional fishing ground that should be shared with neighboring countries such as China and Vietnam, according to a 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling.

Beijing, which claims almost the entire South China Sea, rejected the international tribunal’s ruling, as its vessels continue to harass Filipino fishermen in the area.