Philippines to Send Replacement Ship to South China Sea’s Contested Reef

One of the Philippines’ largest coast guard vessels returned to port on Sunday, after a series of clashes with Chinese ships near the disputed Sabina Shoal.

A China Coast Guard ship glides past the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Cabra during a supply mission to Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea on Aug. 26, 2024. Jam Sta Rosa/AFP via Getty Images

The Philippines said on Sunday that it will dispatch another ship to Sabina Shoal after one of its largest coast guard vessels completed a nearly five-month mission at a disputed atoll in the South China Sea.

Alexander Lopez, spokesperson of the National Maritime Council, confirmed the return of Teresa Magbanua, which was sent to Sabina Shoal to monitor what officials referred to in a May statement as “illegal activities“ by Beijing.