The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) plans to conduct maritime domain awareness (MDA) flights over strategic areas of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to uphold the nation’s territorial rights.
“This will be the Coast Guard aircraft, and we’ll conduct [an] MDA flight from Pangasinan to Zambales,” PCG spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said at the Saturday News Forum.
Tarriela highlighted that these routine flights serve to reinforce the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The announcement follows reports of a Chinese military helicopter performing “dangerous” maneuvers near Bajo de Masinloc.
At the same time, PCG is monitoring the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 5303, located 80 nautical miles off Bolinao, Pangasinan, while CCG vessels 3301 and 3105 have been observed near Zambales.
“We are actively challenging these vessels, and whenever we detect CCG ships, we deploy PCG vessels to counter their presence,” Tarriela said.
The WPS covers the Luzon Sea, the Kalayaan Island Group, and Bajo de Masinloc (also known as Scarborough Shoal).
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague declared that China has no legal basis for its claims over the entire South China Sea.