PCG Confronts and Drives Off CCG Vessel 4305 Found 48 Nautical Miles Off Zambales — Second Simultaneous Chinese Intrusion; Canada's Dark Vessel Detection Program Flags Unauthorized Patrol

A second concurrent Chinese intrusion into the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone was documented and confronted on May 19, 2026, when Canada's Dark Vessel Detection (DVS) Program flagged China Coast Guard vessel CCG 4305 drifting approximately 48–50.1 nautical miles west of Pandaquit, Zambales — squarely inside the Philippine EEZ. Philippine Coast Guard patrol aircraft Piper Navajo 302 (deployed from La Union Airport) conducted a visual confirmation pass at 8:40 a.m. and reported the CCG 4305's position. Repeated radio challenges were issued by the PCG aircraft; the Chinese vessel did not respond. PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan ordered the deployment of BRP Cape San Agustin to the intercept location, with PCG personnel issuing multiple radio challenges throughout the day demanding the vessel explain its presence and depart Philippine waters. PCG stated it would 'never allow the normalization of illegal patrols' off Zambales, and characterized the CCG 4305's unauthorized presence as a direct challenge to President Marcos Jr.'s directive not to surrender Philippine territory. The CCG 4305 intrusion is significant for two reasons: first, it occurred simultaneously with the Xiang Yang Hong 33's continued presence near Pag-asa Island — demonstrating a multi-vector Chinese EEZ pressure campaign extending beyond the Spratly Islands to the Luzon western coast near the Zambales province. Second, the involvement of Canada's Dark Vessel Detection Program in flagging the CCG 4305 illustrates the increasingly multinational intelligence-sharing framework monitoring Chinese maritime activities in Philippine waters, following the post-Balikatan AFP monitoring report (May 4-11) that documented 35 Chinese vessels across four West Philippine Sea locations. The CCG 4305 confrontation was covered by Newsweek (international wire) alongside Philippine domestic outlets — consistent with the Philippines' transparency offensive bringing SCS confrontations to global audiences.