The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in collaboration with Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), conducted a routine Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) flight today over the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) as part of its legitimate mandate to protect the country’s maritime jurisdiction and the livelihood of Filipino fishermen.
The flight departed from Puerto Princesa International Airport this morning, monitoring the following activities within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone:
-Zamora Reef: One (1) Chinese hospital ship (862), two (2) China Coast Guard vessels with unidentified bow numbers, and twenty-nine (29) Chinese Maritime Militia Vessels (CMMVs) anchored in the vicinity of the reef. The BFAR aircraft recorded video footage of three (3) flares fired from the reef toward the aircraft during its lawful overflight.
-Pag-asa Cay: One (1) Vietnamese research/fishing survey vessel, KN-374, operating southwest of the feature.
-Rurok Island: Two (2) Vietnamese fishing vessels anchored southwest, and one (1) Vietnam Coast Guard vessel anchored south of the island.
-Julian Felipe Reef:A total of thirty-eight (38) Chinese Maritime Militia Vessels — twenty-six (26) moored alongside each other and twelve (12) scattered in the area.
-Pagkakaisa Banks: Thirty-four (34) Chinese Maritime Militia Vessels scattered in the vicinity.
-Panganiban Reef: Unidentified vessels observed inside the lagoon.
-Escoda Shoal: One (1) People’s Liberation Army Navy vessel (BN 539) approximately 14.56 nautical miles northwest of the shoal. This vessel repeatedly issued radio challenges against the BFAR aircraft while it was flying well within Philippine sovereign rights.
The PCG and BFAR reiterate that these routine transparency flights are conducted in accordance with domestic laws and international regulations, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award. These flights aim to monitor the marine environment, assess the status of fisheries resources, and ensure the safety and welfare of Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea.
