For a week now, the largest coast guard vessels of the Philippines and China have been in close proximity to each other at Escoda (Sabina) Shoal. As neither had budged, the Philippine Navy on Tuesday reiterated that the Filipinos wouldn’t be the first to do so, citing “our past experiences and current capabilities.” Still, Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy spokesperson on the West Philippine Sea (WPS), refused to call the situation between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the China Coast Guard (CCG) a “standoff.”

Corrales, N. (2024, July 10). Navy asserts PH vessel will stay at shoal, cites ‘past experiences’. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A2.