A Chinese maritime militia vessel and 22 sampans enter Philippine territorial waters near Kota Island in Palawan, prompting condemnation from the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS). The task force says the vessels carry out unauthorized fishing and reportedly dump waste at sea. Philippine authorities also describe their response as an effort to uphold sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.
Several outlets report that the same maritime militia vessel returns to the area roughly 11 days after a prior incident, despite earlier Philippine actions to drive it away. The Philippine Coast Guard says the encounter involves the militia mothership encircling patrol boats as smaller boats operate close to the shoreline. A Coast Guard spokesperson also characterizes China’s activity as a “coordinated militia operation,” rather than routine fishing.
Across the reports, the common focus is on the alleged violations of Philippine waters and the pattern of repeated visits to Kota Island. The outlets differ mainly in emphasis, with some stressing the NTF-WPS condemnation and others highlighting the Coast Guard’s operational details and assessment of coordination.
