After Panatag Tour of Duty, PCG Ships Dock Subic Freeport Due to Bad Weather

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, 06/22/2012 – After patrolling the waters near the Panatag Shoal, three warships of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) dropped anchor inside this premier Freeport.

BRP Pampanga, BRP Corregidor and BRP Edsa 2 docked in Subic Bay Freeport as President Benigno Aquino ordered PCG to set aside their duties to avoid sailing in bad weather due to typhoon Butchoy.

According to the crew, the ships will resume patrolling the disputed shoal once the weather improves.

China has also pulled out its fishing vessels from the disputed shoal due to inclement weather. The Chinese government deployed a rescue vessel to the shoal to ensure the safety of Chinese fishermen who are caught in the typhoon.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the announcement of the Chinese government to pull out all its fishing vessels is consistent with the agreement between the two countries.

Aside from the PCG ships, President Aquino also ordered the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ship to go back to port due to the weather.

The Philippine government earlier said it is ready to help the Chinese fishermen get out of Panatag Shoal should they experience danger due to inclement weather. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)