THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) drove away a Chinese maritime militia vessel and 24 small boats after they were spotted fishing within 300 yards of Kota Island in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), the PCG said Tuesday.
The incident occurred on Sept. 28 when Chinese Maritime Militia Vessel (CMMV) 9622 was monitored at about 10 a.m. approximately 1.2 nautical miles northwest of Kota Island.
The CMMV subsequently launched 24 small boats, or sampans, each carrying two people.
The boats spread out at roughly 50-yard intervals before being circling within 300 yards of the island while engaged in fishing, the PCG said.
A five-man PCG team deployed aboard a rubber boat to challenge the Chinese vessels.
CMMV 9622 ignored the PCG’s radio challenges, while its crew acknowledged instructions to leave only through hand signals.
Upon the arrival of the PCG team, the mothership and all 24 sampans immediately withdrew from the area.
All PCG personnel returned safely to the station, with no untoward incident reported.
The PCG said the deployment of two dozen small boats from a single maritime militia vessel extended the mothership’s reach and reinforced Chinese presence under a civilian appearance.
The Coast Guard said foreign vessels fishing without Philippine authority within the territorial sea of Kota Island violate Philippine sovereignty and Philippine fisheries laws.
Kota Island is part of the Municipality of Kalayaan, Palawan.
