A routine maritime surveillance flight by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) over the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) on Saturday took a dangerous turn after Chinese vessels fired flares toward a Philippine aircraft conducting lawful monitoring operations within the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the WPS, said the BFAR aircraft departed Puerto Princesa International Airport early in the morning for a scheduled Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) flight aimed at documenting vessel presence, monitoring maritime activity, and assessing conditions affecting Filipino fishermen in the WPS.

At Zamora (Subi) Reef, Philippine authorities observed a large Chinese presence, including one Chinese hospital ship (862), two China Coast Guard vessels with unverified bow numbers, and at least 29 Chinese Maritime Militia vessels anchored in the area.

During the overflight, the BFAR recorded video footage of three flares launched from the reef, fired in the direction of the Philippine aircraft.

Tarriela described the act as “hazardous and unnecessary,” noting the aircraft was operating well within the country’s maritime entitlements under international law.

The PCG also recorded the presence of Vietnamese vessels in multiple locations, including survey vessel KN-374 operating southwest of Pag-asa Cay, two Vietnamese fishing boats anchored southwest of Rurok Island, and a Vietnam Coast Guard vessel positioned to the south.

The MDA flight further documented a heavy Chinese militia presence: 38 Chinese Maritime Militia vessels at Julian Felipe Reef—26 moored in formation and 12 scattered—along with 34 militia boats dispersed around Pagkakaisa Banks, and several unidentified vessels inside the lagoon at Panganiban (Mischief) Reef.

Tarriela added that a People’s Liberation Army Navy vessel (BN 539) was detected approximately 14.56 nautical miles northwest of a feature near Escoda (Sabina) Shoal. The PLA Navy vessel repeatedly issued radio challenges against the Philippine aircraft, despite the plane operating fully within the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction.

He emphasized that these transparency flights are part of the Philippine government’s routine mandate to safeguard the maritime domain, environment, and fisheries resources.

Tarriela said the joint PCG and BFAR operations fully adhere to Philippine laws, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the 2016 Arbitral Award, which invalidated China’s expansive claims in the region.

“These flights aim to monitor the marine environment, assess the status of fisheries resources, and ensure the safety and welfare of Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea,” said Tarriela.