The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported the illegal swarming of over 50 Chinese maritime militia vessels in Rozul Reef, a maritime feature located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said the presence of over 50 Chinese vessels both scattered and clustered together in the area approximately 130 nautical miles off the coast of Palawan was confirmed by the assets deployed by the PCG on Wednesday.

In response to reports on illegal swarming of Chinese maritime militia vessels, Tarriela said the PCG deployed two vessels and an aircraft to investigate the situation in the area.

He said the PCG vessels and aircraft challenged the Chinese vessels via radio, notifying them that they were operating within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) but "unfortunately, no response was received from the CMM vessels."

"The Chinese Maritime Militia vessels were directed to clarify their intentions, cease their swarming behaviors, and navigate in accordance with the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 Arbitral Award," said Tarriela.

"To ensure accurate documentation of the situation, the PCG deployed their RHIBs (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats) to approach the CMM vessels in the shallow waters of Rozul Reef and record their bow numbers," he added.

The PCG assures to continuously monitor and address any unauthorized activities within the Philippine EEZ as it reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the country's maritime jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea. Robina Asido/DMS