The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) deployed two ships, BRP Melchora Aquino and BRP Malapascua, to escort the civilian vessel TS Kapitan Felix Oca, which is carrying members of the Atin Ito Coalition to Pag-asa Island in Kalayaan town, West Philippine Sea, for a peace concert.
PCG spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said the two vessels were sent to escort the civilian vessel after two China Coast Guard vessels, 3306 and 21549, were monitored shadowing the mission approximately 58 nautical miles off the coast of El Nido.
“In response to the unauthorized patrol by the China Coast Guard, the PCG vessels have initiated radio communications to challenge CCG 3306’s claim of operating under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China,” Tarriela said.
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“BRP Melchora Aquino has asserted that this area lies within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines, emphasizing that the China Coast Guard vessels lack legal authority over these waters, as outlined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” he added.
At around 3 p.m. CCG 3306 was located 4 nautical miles from the Atin Ito vessel, while CCG 21549 was also positioned 4 nautical miles away.
