PCG aircraft finds another buoy in Bajo de Masinloc, harassed by China Air Force jet

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) discovered another yellow buoy installed at the northern tip of Bajo de Masinloc Shoal in the highly contested West Philippine Sea during a maritime domain awareness operation, despite "aggressive interference" by a Chinese navy helicopter and a Chinese air force fighter jet.

This was just a day after a buoy was also discovered at the center of the shoal on Tuesday. 

Aside from the yellow buoy, the PCG also observed a structure at the shoal on Tuesday, which indicates that the construction was not recent. 

“Moreover, the PCG has secured the precise coordinates of a reported structure observed during yesterday's operations. These coordinates have enabled a thorough review of historical satellite imagery, confirming the presence of structural debris dating back at least two years,” the PCG said in a statement.

“This verification underscores that the debris is longstanding and not indicative of recent construction.” 

China aggression 

Further, PCG said that its MDA flight encountered “aggressive interference by forces from the People’s Republic of China.” 

“Immediately following the low-altitude pass of a People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy helicopter directly beneath the PCG aircraft, a PLA Air Force Shenyang J-16 fighter jet was deployed to harass and endanger the safe flight path. Such actions pose a clear and unacceptable risk to the safety of PCG personnel and the journalists embedded on the mission,” the PCG said. 

The disputed Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal, is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales.

It is considered within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, stating that they had "no legal basis." China has not recognized the decision.

The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said that a total of 245 diplomatic protests have been filed by the Philippine government against China over incursions in the West Philippine Sea since 2022. –NB, GMA Integrated News