PCG repels Chinese militia vessel, 22 fishing boats from Kota Island waters

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The Philippine Coast Guard said it drove away a Chinese maritime militia vessel and 22 fishing boats from the territorial waters of Kota Island on Friday.

Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, identified the Chinese mothership as CMMV 9622, which is the same vessel it repelled, along with 24 sampans, from Kota Island on Sept. 28, 2026.

“At approximately 3:00 PM, PCG personnel stationed on Kota Island sighted and monitored the Chinese sampans conducting unauthorized fishing activities approximately 0.55 nautical miles northwest of the island, with the nearest sampan observed only about 250 meters from the shoreline, well within the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea of Kota Island,” Tarriela said on X.

The PCG’s operation was carried out by Coast Guard Station Kota under the Coast Guard District Kalayaan Island Group, in coordination with the Philippine Marine Corps and the Philippine Navy.

He noted that the Chinese vessels were also seen dumping waste into the sea.

“At 3:30 PM, two rubber boats departed Kota Island manned by a joint team of PCG personnel from the Special Operations Group, Maritime Law Enforcement Group, Coast Guard District Kalayaan Island Group, and medical personnel, together with three (3) Philippine Marines. On shore, Philippine Navy personnel provided radio and communications support, while Philippine Marines maintained monitoring and situational updates throughout the operation,” Tarriela added.

According to Tarriela, during the agency’s operation, the Chinese mothership was encircling the two PCG rubber boats deployed, while its master was using hand signals, claiming the area and directing its team to leave.

Over a period of two hours, the PCG said it expelled the sampans one by one.

“One sampan refused to leave, resulting in minor contact, with no injuries or damage sustained. The sampan eventually complied and departed,” Tarriela said.

“By 5:30 PM, all Chinese vessels had been pushed back to approximately 3.5 nautical miles from Kota Island and departed toward the northwest, and the operation was terminated,” he added.

The PCG emphasized that Kota Island is an integral part of the Municipality of Kalayaan, Province of Palawan.

The agency stressed that under international law, the Philippines exercises full sovereignty over its territorial sea. Consequently, unauthorized fishing by foreign vessels constitutes a direct violation of Philippine laws, including the Philippine Fisheries Code and the Philippine Maritime Zones Act. —LDF, GMA News