Chinese coast guard shadows, challenges Atin Ito ship off Palawan

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Philippines and China issued radio challenges in the waters off El Nido, Palawan, as civilian group Atin Ito Coalition conducted its third mission to the West Philippine Sea on Tuesday, May 27.

Atin Ito reported that China Coast Guard vessels with bow numbers 3306 and 21549 “were spotted shadowing” the mission’s ship, MV Kapitan Felix Oca, on Tuesday morning.

In a 3 p.m. update, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the Chinese vessels were within four nautical miles from the Philippine civilian ship.

The Kapitan Felix Oca was around 58 nautical miles off the coast of El Nido.

Two PCG vessels, BRP Melchora Aquino and BRP Malapascua, have been deployed to ensure the safety and security of the civilian mission.

In the radio challenge, the PCG told its Chinese counterpart that Beijing’s vessels were in the waters under Manila’s exclusive economic zone. The Chinese side, meanwhile, said the Philippine vessels were within the “area under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China.”

The Atin Ito Coalition started the mission called “Concert at Sea for Peace” on Monday afternoon with a sunset musical event in waters off El Nido, Palawan.

It aims to hold a concert aboard the Kapitan Felix Oca in the territorial waters of Pagasa Island on Wednesday.

The Philippines maintains a military outpost and a coast guard station in Pagasa Island — the largest Philippine-occupied feature in the Spratlys.

“We have planned for and ensured sa dulo na makapag-concert tayo sa sarili nating EEZ (exclusive economic zone) kasi karapatan natin ‘yon,” Rafaela David, Akbayan party-list president and Atin Ito co-convenor, previously said. “Kung saan man tayo abutan in the whole route of the convoy, ang mahalaga maipakita sa China that this peace concert will happen whatever maneuvers they will do.”

[Translation: We have planned for and ensured that at the end, we have conducted a concert inside our EEZ. Wherever in the whole route of the convoy, it’s important that we can show to China that this peace concert will happen whatever maneuvers they will do.]

The Atin Ito Coalition launched a Christmas convoy to Ayungin Shoal in December 2023, then another mission to Panatag Shoal in May 2024.

In the second mission, Atin Ito sent an advance team to Panatag Shoal as the official convoy faced China’s blockade.