SUMMARY
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is committed to sustaining a presence in a disputed area of the South China Sea to ensure China does not carry out reclamation activities at the Sabina Shoal, its spokesperson said on Monday, May 13.
The PCG said on Saturday it has deployed ships to Sabina Shoal, where it accused China of building an artificial island, amid an escalating maritime row.
Since the ship’s deployment in mid-April, the PCG said it has discovered piles of dead and crushed coral that had been dumped on the sandbars of Sabina Shoal, altering their sizes and elevation.
PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela told a press conference on Monday the Coast Guard had to make sure it was able to prevent “China from carrying out a successful reclamation in Sabina Sh…