Tarriela: Chinese ships off Kota Island a ‘coordinated militia op’

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela on Saturday called China’s presence in the territorial waters of Kota Island a “coordinated militia operation” and not simply a fishing activity.

This follows its joint operation with other maritime authorities in Kota Island on Friday, where it drove away a Chinese maritime militia vessel (CMMV) 9622 and 22 smaller boats, also known as “sampans,” in the area operating “unauthorized fishing activities” and “dumping waste at sea.”

READ: PCG drives away Chinese maritime militia vessel, 22 ‘sampans’

Tarriela dismissed the Chinese embassy in Manila’s assertion that what they are doing is simply “normal fishing” within its relevant waters.

“Normal fishing doesn’t happen 250 meters from the shoreline of an island where Filipino personnel are stationed. It doesn’t come with a maritime militia mothership, CMMV 9622, deploying 22 sampans and dumping waste at sea,” he said in a post from his social media.

The 250-meter stretch from the shoreline is well within the Kota Islands’ 12 nautical miles territorial waters, he previously noted.

Kota Island, also known as Loaita Island, is one of the features in the Kalayaan Island Group in the Spratly Islands. It is part of the municipality of Kalayaan in Palawan province.

Under international, as well as the Philippine laws, no foreign vessel may conduct fishing activities within the Philippines’ territorial waters, he emphasized.

“China’s own ‘domestic law’ does not change any of this!” he stressed.

He further highlighted the 2016 arbitral award that declared China’s nine-dash line has no basis under international law.

“Calling the area ‘Nansha Qundao’ does not make it Chinese, and bringing up fishermen from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao does not make an intrusion legal,” he said.

The CMMV 9622 was the same mothership that was spotted also in the area last Sept. 28, where it was accompanied by 24 smaller boats. They left upon the arrival of the PCG team.

READ: PCG drives away Chinese militia vessel, 24 small boats near Kota Island

While Friday’s incident lasted from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

“It came back less than two weeks later with more aggressive behavior,” he said.

He added, “Evidently, this is a coordinated militia operation, not a fishing trip!”

Following the operation off Kota Island, the Chinese embassy in a post said that it has sovereign rights over the Nansha Qundao, including Nanyao Dao, and their adjacent waters.

“Chinese fishermen, including those from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao regions, engage in normal fishing activities in the relevant waters in accordance with Chinese domestic law and relevant international law,” it said.

It added, “The Philippine side has no right to ‘repel’ Chinese fishermen and fishing vessels from the relevant waters.”

It then called on the country to halt the harassment against Chinese fishermen and fishing vessels that were only engaging in “normal fishing operations.”

It then warned that China will “take forceful measures” to safeguard the rights and interests of Chinese fisherfolk. /das

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