“These are not isolated incidents. China is orchestrating the use of fishing vessels and marine scientific research vessels in multiple areas of our maritime domain to thinly spread our operational capabilities, strain our logistics and sustainment, and pressure the Philippines toward acquiescence to a normalized, illegal, and expansive claim. The PCG will not waver. We will execute the guidance of the President not to lose even a square inch of our territory and jurisdiction,” Admiral Gavan said.
Under Articles 56, 77, and 246 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Philippines exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its EEZ and continental shelf, and marine scientific research in these waters requires the consent of the Philippine government. These rights were affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Award and are further codified in the Philippine Maritime Zones Act. Any seabed survey, sampling, or mapping undertaken by TAN SUO YI HAO without such consent is illegal and unauthorized.
The PCG will continue to monitor the presence and activities of TAN SUO YI HAO and will coordinate with the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) and the Department of Foreign Affairs for appropriate action.
These operations are being conducted in accordance with the guidance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who has repeatedly declared that he will not preside over any process that will abandon even a square inch of Philippine territory to any foreign power. On 08 October 2026, the President likewise reiterated that, under international law and especially UNCLOS, these areas are clearly part of Philippine sovereign territory and the country’s exclusive economic zone.
