Philippine Coast Guard drives off Chinese militia vessel, 24 boats near Kota Island

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it drove away a Chinese maritime militia vessel and 24 smaller boats on Monday, September 28, after they were found allegedly fishing illegally in the territorial sea of Kota Island in the Kalayaan Island Group.

In a statement on Tuesday, September 29, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said the Chinese militia vessel was monitored about 1.2 nautical miles northwest of Kota Island at around 10 a.m.

It then launched 24 small boats or “sampans” manned by two individuals, which spread out within 300 yards of the island at about 50-yard intervals.

Tarriela said the PCG deployed a five-man team from Coast Guard Station Kota on a rubber boat to challenge the vessels at around 11 a.m.

The crews of the vessel, however, only acknowledged the PCG’s instructions through hand signals and ignored the radio challenge.

The vessel and its small boats left the area upon the PCG’s arrival, according to Tarriela.

The PCG official condemned the presence of Chinese militia vessels, saying it is China’s strategy to bolster its presence in the disputed territorial sea.

“Launching two dozen small boats from a single militia platform is a force-multiplying tactic that extends the mothership's reach and reinforces Chinese presence under a civilian appearance, below the threshold of overt coercion,” Tarriela said.

Kota Island is among the land features within the Kalayaan Island Group of the Spratly Islands under Kalayaan town in Palawan.

The Kalayaan Island Group is a central part of the maritime and territorial disputes in the South China Sea, with China claiming sovereignty over nearly the entire area.

China’s claims were found lacking basis by a 2016 ruling of the international arbitral tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The ruling, however, was rejected by China.

“Fishing by foreign vessels within its territorial sea, without Philippine authority, violates Philippine sovereignty, Philippine fisheries laws, and the UNCLOS,” Tarriela said.

Authorities said they will continue to repel foreign vessels in the area as they continue to reinforce the PCG’s presence.