Chinese Coast Guard ships seen near mother boat of Scarborough convoy

China Coast Guard vessel with bow number 4108 came as near as 100 meters in the mother boat of the Scarborough Shoal civilian convoy. —Photo by John Eric Mendoza, INQUIRER.net

ABOARD FBCA BING BING, West Philippine Sea — Two China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels shadowed this mother boat of the Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal civilian convoy, with one coming as close as 100 meters on Wednesday.

At about 6:00 p.m., a CCG vessel with bow number 4109 was first spotted at about 100 nautical miles away from Zambales.

Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) BRP Bacagay was seen providing cover between the CCG bow number 4109 and this mother boat.

The exchange of PCG’s BRP Bagacay and CCG’s 4109 radio challenge could be heard here on the mother boat’s radio.

The second CCG vessel with bow number 4108 was spotted at about 6:15 p.m. It came as close as 100 meters from this mother boat.

The Atin Ito coalition began laying down its symbolic markers in the area at about noon here in the West Philippine Sea.