House Committee on Public Accounts Chairman Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon says China's alleged disruption of Internet signal within Philippine territory in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) warrants congressional scrutiny.

"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 said on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Ridon, a co-chairman of quad-committee (quad-comm) 2.0 in the current 20th Congress, was mainly reacting to a concerning Facebook post from Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela last week, when he observed alleged signal "jamming" from the Chinese government.

"It is not only the Starlink systems on vessels that have been jammed by PRC, but also the internet connections aboard our aircraft. Notably, on February 18, when a BFAR aircraft flew over BDM (Bajo de Masinloc), the connection was lost, displaying a pop-up message stating that Starlink service is not currently available in this country," Tarriela wrote.

The PCG official said the signal was restored only after the aircraft moved 13 nautical miles away from BDM. He further claimed that a similar incident took place the following day.

"These incidents clearly indicate that the PRC has jammed the signals and likely established a geofence designating BDM as part of their territory, triggering the 'unavailable in this country' message," Tarriela said.

Ridon reckoned that proposed House probe should cover other areas where the Philippines exercises sovereignty and sovereign rights.

The veteran lawmaker also cited the human and environmental costs that arise 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," he said.

Ridon said congressman should also play a bigger role in gathering information about the "realities of the situation in the WPS.

"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," he said.