MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua has left Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
It is now sailing back to its homeport.
This development was relayed by National Maritime Council Chairperson and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Sunday.
According to Bersamin, this repositioning will allow the vessel “to address the medical need, undergo needed repairs, and allow its crew enjoy a well-deserved furlough and reunion with their loved ones.”
“After she has been resupplied and repaired, and her crew recharged, she will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission, along with other PCG and AFP assets, as defenders of our sovereignty,” the executive secretary said in a statement.
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“During her deployment at Escoda Shoal, she challenged an encirclement by a larger flotilla of intruders, battled inclement weather, with her crew surviving on diminished daily provisions,” the statement read.
“What made this possible is the determination and dedication of the men and women on board, who crewed her in the finest tradition of our Philippine Coast Guard sailors, and in honor of the heroine for whom she was named,” it added.
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