THE PHILIPPINE Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Saturday night that it had spotted Chinese navy and militia vessels near Thitu Island, the largest island occupied by Manila in the South China Sea.
Maritime personnel stationed on Thitu, which the Philippines calls Pag-asa Island, saw the presence of a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy vessel, China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 5203, and 42 suspected Chinese maritime militia vessels.
“These Chinese vessels are estimated to have a distance of approximately 4.5 to 8 nautical miles (NM) from Pag-asa Island, clearly inside the land feature’s 12-nautical-mile territorial sea,” the PCG said in a statement.
The Chinese Army vessel and CCG ship had been “slowly loitering within the surrounding waters of Pag-asa Island with a distance of 8 NM and 4 NM, respectively,” the Philippine maritime guards said.
It said 14 suspected Chinese militia vessels were anchored within the vicinity of Pag-asa Cay 3 with an estimated distance of 4 NM West of Pag-asa Island, while other 28 suspected militia vessels were within the area of Pag-asa Cay 4.
“Their continuing unauthorized presence is clearly inconsistent with the right of innocent passage and a blatant violation of the Philippines’ territorial integrity,” the PCG said.
Pag-asa is the largest island in the Kalayaan Island Group, the northeastern section of the disputed Spratlys Island in the South China Sea.
The PCG said it is estimated that more than 400 civilian locals including some 70 children call the island “home” together with stationed military as well as law enforcement and civilian government personnel. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza