The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) says it drove away a Chinese maritime militia vessel and 24 small fishing boats near Kota Island in the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea. The PCG said the encounter occurred on Monday, when a five-member team stationed on Kota Island spotted the vessel and the smaller boats operating close to the island.
According to the PCG statements cited by both outlets, the larger vessel was located about 2.2 kilometers northwest of Kota Island around 10 a.m. The militia vessel reportedly deployed 24 “sampans,” with each small boat carrying two people. The boats spread out at intervals of roughly 46 meters before they were later driven away.
Both reports attribute the incident to the PCG’s assessment that the boats were allegedly fishing in Kota Island waters, which are within the Philippines’ territorial waters claim. The outlets focus on the PCG’s account and do not provide additional details from the Chinese side or independent verification of the activity before the PCG intervention.
