The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed the presence of five Chinese vessels within the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) during a maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

The PCG deployed a Coast Guard Islander 4177 aircraft for the mission and it spotted four China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels operating near Bajo de Masinloc and a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) warship observed at a farther distance.

“This morning, we have deployed a Coast Guard aircraft to conduct an MDA flight. The most significant observation was that there are four China Coast Guard vessels within the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc, and there is also a PLA-Navy warship, but it’s quite distant,” Tarriela said during a press briefing in Manila where the government reported third-quarter developments and its ongoing response to China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea from July to September.

One of the CCG vessels was identified to have the bow number "3106," while others had unidentified bow numbers (UBNs). The PLA-N warship had a bow number of "575". 

Also operating in Bajo de Masinloc was BRP Cape San Agustin ( MRRV-4408), a 44-meter multi-role response vessel of the PCG.

Tarriela noted that while the number of CCG vessels remained “pretty much the same,” usually between six to ten ships on rotation during patrols, the Chinese presence tends to surge when Philippine fishing boats are operating in the area under the support of the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

“The only instance when their level of presence significantly increases is whenever they closely monitor a high number of Filipino fishing vessels supported by BFAR and PCG,” Tarriela added.

The PCG also confirmed that China has installed two buoys in Bajo de Masinloc, one in the central portion of the shoal and another in the northern area, further asserting its presence in the disputed maritime feature.

Tarriela said the continued monitoring flights are part of the broader efforts of the National Maritime Council (NMC) to maintain situational awareness and assert Philippine jurisdiction over its maritime zones.

NMC spokesperson Undersecretary Alexander Lopez reported that the third quarter of the year saw “significant events testing our collective commitment to safeguarding sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction,” particularly in the WPS.

Among these developments was China’s unilateral declaration of a so-called “marine nature reserve” at Bajo de Masinloc last month, which was assailed by President Marcos Jr. during the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday, Oct. 27.

According to Lopez, Bajo de Masinloc, located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, is integral part of the Philippine territory as it is well within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), hence, the declaration of China to put up a structure there is illegal.

Lopez said the PCG and BFAR have observed a noticeable rise in Chinese presence at the shoal since China’s declaration.

“Before, there were only a few of them, but now our Coast Guard and BFAR vessels can confirm that there are more Chinese vessels than ours,” he said.

From July to September, the NMC reported 13 radio challenges, one ramming incident, seven dangerous maneuvers, two water cannon attacks, and 37 shadowing incidents by Chinese maritime forces in Philippine waters, many of which occurred near Bajo de Masinloc, Ayungin Shoal, and Pag-asa Island.

Despite these provocations, Lopez emphasized the professionalism of Philippine maritime agencies and the unity of Filipinos in defending the nation’s sovereign rights.

“These developments underscore the persistent nature of the challenges we face, but they also highlight the strength of our national institutions, the professionalism of our uniformed services, and the unity of purpose among our people in defending what is rightfully ours,” Lopez said.