Presence of Chinese intruder ships in Surigao del Norte prompts renewed call by Barbers to build EDCA naval site

A LAWMAKER from Mindanao today assailed again China government’s continuing disrespect to the country’s sovereignty by intruding inside the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone by deploying without permission three research or probably spy vessels near Siargao Island and Davao Oriental last month. 

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, lead chair of the House’s Quad Committee and chair of the Dangerous Drugs panel, citing reports from the Philippine Coast Guard, said the three Chinese vessels which were travelling together could be documenting tides, seabed, and other strategic data in said area. 

“Ito (Chinese vessel intrusion in the Eastern Seaboard) ang isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit hinihiling ko sa ating gobyerno, partikular na sa Defense department, na maglagay ng EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) naval site sa aming probinsya,” he said. 

Surigao del Norte, Barbers said, sits directly in the country’s eastern waters and the Pacific Ocean, facing continuing threats from drug smugglers, spy vessels and other foreign intruders. 

“The province’s distinct advantage to have an EDCA naval site is that it is openly facing the Pacific Ocean and had an outlet to the West Philippine Sea, and ships can traverse the country from east to west and vice-versa without the need to circle around,” he explained.

Last Saturday at about 7:40am, the PCG and the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea monitored the three Chinese ships – Xiang Yang Hong 3, Jia Geng and Xiang Yang Hong 10 – at about 211 nautical miles (nm) east of Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte.

The three Chinese vessels entered the country’s EEZ on Nov. 20 near Siargao Island and Davao Oriental on Nov. 14. Three days earlier or on November 17, they were spotted 257 nautical miles near Sta. Ana, Cagayan. 

“Ang China government, sa pamamagitan ng kanila mga barko, sa palagay ko, ay merong malalim na dahilan kung bakit sabay-sabay na nanghihimasok sa isang partikular na area, tulad ng ginagawa nila sa aming probinsya. At sila ay walang clearance sa ating pamahalaan na pumasok sa ating EEZ,” Barbers said. 

The Surigao del Norte solon, together with his brother Surigao del Norte Rep. Lyndon Barbers earlier invited Filipino and American military officials to check out their province as a possible next EDCA naval site following the building of similar naval facility in Casiguran, Aurora to protect Benham Rise or Philippine Rise. 

“While the Defense Department under Secretary Gibo Teodoro considers the Casiguran EDCA site to be playing an important role in guarding the country’s eastern seaboard, I think it’s not sufficient enough. We need another EDCA naval site in Surigao del Norte to cover and protect the vast eastern seaboard from drug smugglers and foreign intruders,” he said. 

            As of now, there are five military installations designated as Edca sites: Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu, and Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro.

Then in April 2023, the Presidential Communications Office named four new locations for the Edca: Camilo Osias Naval Base in Sta. Ana town and Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo town, both in Cagayan province; Camp Melchor dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela province; and Balabac, the southernmost island in Palawan.