The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), through its personnel stationed on Lawak Island, successfully drove away a foreign fishing vessel from the territorial sea of Lawak Island, Kalayaan Island Group, on 23 October 2026.
At around noon, PCG personnel on Lawak Island monitored the foreign fishing vessel lying approximately two (2) nautical miles northeast of the island, well within its 12-nautical-mile territorial sea. In the early afternoon, the PCG deployed a rubber boat to conduct maritime patrol and law enforcement operations and to direct the vessel to vacate the area.
Upon reaching the vessel, the PCG team conducted multiple radio challenges and, through public address microphones, issued repeated verbal warnings and instructions directing it to leave the territorial sea of Lawak Island. The vessel subsequently started its engine and proceeded northward, away from the island.
The PCG team did not stop at merely dislodging the vessel from its position. It escorted the vessel at a safe distance while continuing to issue radio challenges and public address warnings until the vessel was driven away outside the territorial sea of Lawak Island, after which the team returned to the island without any untoward incident.
This is the sixth operation conducted by the PCG in less than four weeks to drive away foreign vessels from the Kalayaan Island Group, following the repelling of Chinese Maritime Militia Vessel (CMMV) 9622 and its sampans from Kota Island on 28 September and 09 October 2026, five (5) foreign fishing vessels from Kota Island on 11 October 2026, Chinese fishing vessel YUETAIYU 63168 and its four small boats from Lawak Island on 15 October 2026, and a foreign fishing vessel from Kota Island on 18 October 2026.
Lawak Island is an integral part of the Municipality of Kalayaan, Province of Palawan. Under international law, the Philippines exercises full sovereignty over its territorial sea, where no foreign vessel may fish without authorization. Such activities likewise constitute violations of Philippine laws, including the Philippine Fisheries Code and the Philippine Maritime Zones Act.
Under the leadership of PCG Commandant Vice Admiral Rommel Supangan, the PCG will sustain its presence and vigilance in the Kalayaan Island Group and continue to drive away unauthorized foreign vessels from the territorial sea of Philippine-occupied features.
This operation was carried out in accordance with the guidance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who, in his State of the Nation Address on 27 July 2026, vowed that the Philippines will not surrender or waver in defending its territory and maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea, in adherence to international law and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
