The Philippine Coast Guard recently conducted a routine Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) flight over the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc, located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.
During the patrol, the PCG aircraft detected the unauthorized presence of several Chinese maritime forces. These included two China Coast Guard vessels—one bearing an unidentified bow number and positioned approximately 84.6 nautical miles west of Capones Island, while the other was located 7.8 nautical miles southeast of Bajo de Masinloc—as well as two People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships with hull numbers 553 and 909 near the Southeast of BDM. In addition, five vessels believed to be Chinese maritime militia were observed at distances ranging from 6.16 to 11.82 nautical miles from Bajo de Masinloc.
The PLAN warship with hull number 553 issued multiple radio challenges to the PCG Islander aircraft. The PCG aircrew responded professionally, asserting that the MDA flight was fully compliant with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the 2016 Arbitral Award, and the Philippine Maritime Zones Act. These legal instruments affirm the Philippines’ sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea. The crew further emphasized the Philippines’ lawful authority to conduct MDA operations within its maritime zones and reminded the PLAN warship that China, as a signatory to UNCLOS, had no legal basis to interfere with legitimate Philippine activities.
The PCG remains firmly committed to upholding the Philippines’ sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea through transparent and peaceful operations, undeterred by any unlawful interference. This aerial patrol underscores the PCG’s unwavering resolve to protect Filipino fishermen, preserve our marine resources, and highlight the illegal presence of Chinese maritime forces to prevent its normalization—fully aligned with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s pledge to yield not a single inch of our territory to any foreign power.
