Aside from plans for a congressional probe into the alleged Chinese jamming of internet signals in the West Philippine Sea, a House leader said Saturday that lawmakers should observe maritime domain awareness flights.
House Committee on Public Accounts Chairman Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said the move would allow members to better understand the situation on the ground.
"House members should also participate as observers in maritime domain awareness (MDA) flights conducted by the PCG to better understand on-the-ground realities of the WPS dispute, the risks faced by personnel and civilians, and the operational requirements for sustained presence and protection," Ridon said.
Ridon said the alleged Chinese disruption of internet signals within Philippine territory in the WPS warrants congressional scrutiny.
He added that Congress should investigate reported Chinese cyber activities in the WPS, including the alleged jamming or disruption of internet and communications services around Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal).
Ridon, a co-chairman of quad-committee (quad-comm) 2.0 in the 20th Congress, was responding to a Facebook post by Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela last week, who reported observing alleged signal "jamming" by China.
Tarriela said it was not only the Starlink systems on vessels that were affected but also internet connections aboard aircraft, specifically on 18 February when a BFAR aircraft flew over Bajo de Masinloc.
The post said the connection was lost, displaying a pop-up message stating that Starlink service is not currently available in the country.
The signal was restored only after the aircraft moved 13 nautical miles away from BDM. Tarriela also reported a similar incident the following day.
He said the incidents suggest that China has jammed the signals and may have established a geofence designating BDM as part of its territory, triggering the "unavailable in this country" message.
Ridon said the proposed House probe should also cover other areas where the Philippines exercises sovereignty and sovereign rights.
He cited the human and environmental costs arising from such territorial disputes.
"The inquiry should examine impacts on fisherfolk, maritime safety, disaster response, and the operations of civilian and government vessels, and identify the agencies’ capability gaps and needed countermeasures," Ridon said.
He added that lawmakers should play a bigger role in gathering information about the "realities of the situation in the WPS."