PCG: All 10 buoys in West Philippine Sea accounted for

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday said all of the 10 buoys it installed in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) territory last month have been accounted for.

PCG spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela made the confirmation amid reports that Chinese fishermen removed the buoys placed by the Philippines in the area to serve as “sovereign markers.”

“We now have a visual of our two buoys na sinasabing pinutol ng Chinese fishermen sa Balagtas Reef at sa Julian Felipe Reef [that are said to have been severed by Chinese fishermen in Balagtas Reef and Julian Felipe Reef],” Tarriela said in a Dobol B TV interview.

“Hindi nawawala ang boya natin [our buoys are not missing]. All of these are accounted,” he added.

In a Facebook post, the PCG said it deployed the Cessna Caravan 2081 in Palawan on Tuesday to carry out a Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) flight.

“Following the operation, it was confirmed that the two navigational buoys in Balagtas and Julian Felipe Reefs, which had been previously reported as removed, were still in their original positions,” it said.

Tarriela said PCG Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu on Wednesday morning directed an offshore patrol vessel to conduct a maritime patrol in the WPS to check on and maintain all of the 10 buoys.

Amid the continued presence of Chinese vessels in the WPS, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año earlier said the installation of the buoys in the WPS was an act of a sovereign nation and pursuant to Philippine obligations under international law. —KBK, GMA Integrated News