China Coast Guard vessel shadows PH civilian mission in West PH Sea —Atin Ito

A China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel was spotted shadowing a Philippine civilian mission bound for Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea on Friday morning, civil society coalition Atin Ito said.

In an update, Atin Ito spokesperson Emman Hizon said that at 7:20 a.m., the CCG vessel with bow number 3103 was monitored about 3.2 nautical miles away from Philippine civilian mission vessel MV Kapitan Felix Oca.

The Philippine civilian mission vessel was around 90 nautical miles from Manila and 60 nautical miles west of Mindoro when the Chinese presence was monitored.

GMA News Online reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Manila for comment and will publish it once available.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), meanwhile, expressed support for the civilian mission.

“While this is a civilian-led endeavor, we provide our full support through maritime domain awareness and coordination to ensure a safe passage,” AFP spokesperson for WPS Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a statement.

“We stand in solidarity with our fisherfolk and civil society. Their presence reinforces the truth: the West Philippine Sea is an integral part of our nation. We call for a rules-based order where our citizens can freely live and work without intimidation,” he added.

On Thursday, Atin Ito’s fourth civilian mission departed from Pier 15 at the Manila South Harbor.

The send-off ceremony was attended by volunteers, supporters, media partners, and members of the “West Philippine Sea bloc” in Congress.

Atin Ito mission commander Rafaela David said the timing of the mission, ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit to be hosted by the Philippines next week, aims to highlight issues in the West Philippine Sea.

“This mission sends a clear message to ASEAN leaders: the West Philippine Sea is an integral part of our nation and a zone of peace and solidarity, not one of military aggression,” David said.

She added that the initiative is also meant to extend assistance to residents of Pag-asa Island and fisherfolk affected by the global oil crisis.

The mission, scheduled from April 30 to May 5, seeks to deliver food and fuel supplies, conduct medical outreach activities, and hold a community concert.

Organizers also plan a jet ski flag ride, which they described as a peaceful assertion of the Philippines’ sovereign rights and territorial integrity in the area.

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim.

The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has refused to recognize the decision. —AOL, GMA News