At least 50 vessels belonging to China’s maritime militia have been swarming Rozul Reef in the West Philippine Sea since June 17, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Thursday.
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela, said the Chinese vessels are likely being used to assert territorial claims over unoccupied areas and possibly intimidate Filipino fishermen.
“Rozul Reef is within our Exclusive Economic Zone, located just 113 nautical miles off the coast of Palawan,” Tarriela said. “Their presence, movement, swarming, and anchoring activities do not represent freedom of navigation — they are a clear violation of our sovereign rights.”
According to Tarriela, the Coast Guard deployed two vessels and an aircraft to challenge the Chinese presence, but none of the foreign ships responded to the radio calls. “Despite our repeated warnings, not a single vessel responded — not even to our aircraft,” he said.
He noted that previous swarms involved fewer vessels, but the current incident suggests growing aggression. “The presence of these vessels is a violation of UNCLOS. They may be monitoring our Coast Guard and military activities, but their intent remains speculative.”
