The flagship of the Philippine Navy ran aground Wednesday night while on a patrol mission in the vicinity of Hasa Hasa (Half Moon) Shoal in the waters off Palawan in the West Philippine Sea. The BRP Gregorio del Pilar, a former US coast guard ship acquired by the Philippines in 2011, was on a regular patrol operation when its starboard or right side hit one of the submerged land features in the area, said Col. Noel Detoyato, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Public Affairs Office. The area is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone but is witness to frequent incursions by Chinese vessels.

Laude, J., & Macairan, E. (2018, September 1). Navy flagship runs aground near shoal. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 7.