PCG DISPATCHES TWO ADDITIONAL ESCORT VESSELS FOR ‘ATIN ITO’ CONVOY TO WEST PHILIPPINE SEA

MANILA – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) dispatched two more vessels to escort the “Atin Ito” convoy to Bajo de Masinloc, ensuring the safety of the Filipino civilian movement on Wednesday (15 May 2024).

During a press conference hosted by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Quezon City, PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), said that the two vessels will join the BRP Bagacay, which was sent ahead to rendezvous with the convoy before reaching Bajo de Masinloc.

“We also dispatched an aircraft to monitor the situation in Bajo de Masinloc,” Tarriela added.

Currently, the civilian convoy has departed Zambales and is en route to the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In a Viber message to reporters, PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo identified the two ships as BRP Panglao and BRP Boracay, both 24-meter patrol fast boats.

“BRP Boracay is already in Subic. BRP Panglao is also on its way,” Balilo said.

He added that a PCG aircraft remains on standby to monitor the civilian mission.

‘Atin Ito’ Not Sanctioned by PH Gov’t

However, Tarriela clarified that the “Atin Ito” convoy is a civilian mission and is not sanctioned by the Philippine government.

“This decision of ‘Atin Ito’ to sail is voluntary. We did not force them; this is a civil society initiative,” he said.

Nonetheless, PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan has ordered the dispatch of the PCG ships and aircraft as part of the PCG’s duty to safeguard Filipinos in the country’s waters.

“The PCG will ensure the safety of Filipinos sailing within our exclusive economic zone (EEZ),” Tarriela emphasized.

He noted that the additional PCG vessels were dispatched in response to the presence of an unknown number of Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels currently awaiting the civilian convoy in Bajo de Masinloc.

“There’s no denying that more CCG vessels have been deployed. We can confirm Ray Powell’s statement that there are several CCG vessels guarding the area,” he said.

The convoy to Bajo de Masinloc was organized by the Atin Ito Coalition, which aims to deliver provisions to other Filipino fishermen in the area.

On its way to the shoal, the convoy also plans to install buoys marked with “WPS, Atin Ito (This is Ours)” in certain areas of the WPS.

(el Amigo/MNM)