By Darryl John Esguerra
MANILA – The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) strongly condemned the unauthorized fishing and dumping of waste of Chinese vessels at Kota Island in the Kalayaan Island Group.
The task force said Chinese Maritime Militia Vessel 9622 and its 22 small boats or sampans intruded the territorial sea of Kota Island on Friday
The Chinese vessels then engaged in unauthorized fishing and reportedly dumped waste at sea, with one sampan approaching as close as 250 meters from the island’s shoreline, the NTF-WPS said in a statement Saturday.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel, along with the Philippine Marine Corps and the Philippine Navy, addressed the intrusion but the Chinese mothership maneuvered around and encircled their boats, while its master brazenly claimed the area as Chinese territory and directed the Philippine team to leave, it added.
Kota Island is an integral part of the Municipality of Kalayaan in Palawan, within the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea.
The Chinese vessels’ unauthorized fishing activities violate Philippine laws, including Republic Act (RA) No. 12064 (Philippine Maritime Zones Act) and RA 8550 (Philippine Fisheries Code), as amended by RA 10654, the NTF-WPS said.
“We commend the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine Marine Corps and the Philippine Navy for their firm, coordinated and professional response, which resulted in the departure of all Chinese vessels from Kota Island’s territorial sea,” the task force said.
The Chinese maritime militia vessel deployed 24 sampans near the island on Sept. 28.
“Such repeated incursions underscore the need for sustained vigilance and a clear, consistent response to attempts to challenge Philippine sovereignty,” the NTF-WPS said.
It added that it will continue to support the PCG and other concerned agencies in protecting Philippine territory and maritime rights, stressing that “repeated intrusions, coercive maneuvers, and baseless assertions of sovereignty will not be allowed to be normalized in Philippine waters.”
