The Philippine Navy has described its patrol and maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight near Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, as successful on Thursday, despite the presence of Chinese naval and coast guard vessels and a Chinese helicopter.
Captain Paul Michael Echanova, commanding officer of the guided-missile frigate BRP Miguel Malvar, said the operations were completed without untoward incidents or aggressive actions from the Chinese vessels monitored in the area.
“So far, yung naging mga patrol natin at yung MDA flight natin this morning was generally successful. Wala namang untoward incident or any aggressive acts coming from our three counterparts, dalawang PLA Navy warships and some fishing vessels,” Echanova said.
The Philippine patrol was conducted amid the presence of three Chinese vessels, including a Jiangkai-class frigate bearing bow number 544, another People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessel, and a China Coast Guard ship. A Chinese naval helicopter also monitored the Philippine aircraft during its MDA flight.
Lieutenant Hazel Joy Feliciano, the pilot-in-command of the Philippine Navy helicopter, reported spotting additional Chinese vessels during the flight, including suspected maritime militia boats and a vessel believed to be a research ship.
The vessels were reportedly sighted approximately 500 yards from Bajo de Masinloc. Echanova said the information was still being verified as of the latest update.
Bajo de Masinloc lies within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and is a traditional fishing ground for Filipino fishers. The 2016 arbitral award in the South China Sea dispute also recognized the traditional fishing rights of Filipino and Chinese fishers in the area.
The Philippine Navy’s operations form part of the country’s continuing efforts to monitor maritime activities and maintain its presence in the West Philippine Sea.
