Philippine Coast Guard personnel capture in a video a Chinese maritime militia vessel surrounded by 24 small boats illegally fishing in the sea of Kota Island, part of the Kalayaan Island Group, last September 28, 2026.
Manuel Mogato | October 1, 2026
MANILA — The Philippine Coast Guard launched rubber boats to drive out small Chinese fishing boats from the territorial waters of a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, a spokesman said.
Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said at least 24 small Chinese fishing boats swarmed around the tiny Kota island, one of nine Philippine-occupied features in the South China Sea, to gather intelligence on military and coast guard activities on the island.
“I’m not convinced that what they’re really after is fishing,” Tarriela told journalists as the fishing boats came close, at about 200 to 300 meters of the uninhabited island.
He said the smaller boats had no fishing nets or other gear, speculating that the boats were on a surveillance mission. The smaller boats, known as “sampans”, were controlled by a large militia vessel positioned outside Kota’s 12-mile territorial waters, he added.
At least five Coast Guard personnel, on a rubber boat, challenged the larger militia vessel to respect Philippine territorial waters. The small fishing boats withdrew towards the militia vessel before all Chinese boats disappeared.
The Kota incident came days after Chinese vessels interfered with a Philippine rotation and resupply (Rore) mission to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, some 190 kilometers southeast of Kota.
The mission was aborted, but Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Saturday vowed the Rore missions will continue. (Also read: Philippines joins seven like-minded states in naval drills in West Philippine Sea)
China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. (Also read: Philippine Coast Guard challenges Chinese research vessel near Batanes)
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, following Manila’s arbitral case three years earlier challenging Beijing’s sweeping maritime claims. China has refused to recognize the ruling.