MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has reported detecting a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 5901, near the waters of Capones Island in Zambales over the weekend.

In a statement issued late Sunday night, the PCG said the CCG vessel is positioned 54 nautical miles off the coast of Capones Island, Zambales, on January 4, 2025. 

This marks the latest presence of CCG in the country’s maritime waters for this year.

The PCG said it deployed the BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409), along with a PCG helicopter and aircraft following the sighting, to investigate and monitor the situation. 

The detection was made using Canada’s Dark Vessel Detection (DVD) system, a tool designed to track vessels operating in the region.

Around 5:00 p.m. on the same day, the BRP Cabra and a PCG aircraft confirmed the location of the Chinese vessel within the area identified by the DVD system. 

The PCG said that it issued repeated challenges to the CCG vessel, saying that it was operating within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), in line with both the Philippine Maritime Zones Law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

By 8:00 PM, the CCG vessel had moved 85 nautical miles westward, and the BRP Cabra continued to monitor its movements. 

The PCG has said that it remains in the area to monitor the situation and ensure the safety of fishermen and other activities within the Philippines’ EEZ.

The presence of the Chinese vessel comes amid ongoing regional tensions over maritime claims in the South China Sea, where multiple countries, including the Philippines, have competing territorial interests.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines stating the West Philippine Sea is part of the country’s EEZ but China has been dismissive of the ruling taking the majority of the island by deploying Chinese vessels within the disputed area.