MANILA – A China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel was monitored shadowing a Philippine civilian mission en route to Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea on Friday morning, a civil society coalition said.

In a media report, Atin Ito spokesperson Emman Hizon said the CCG vessel, with bow number 3103, was seen at around 7:20 a.m. positioned about 3.2 nautical miles away from the Philippine civilian mission vessel MV Kapitan Felix Oca.

At the time of monitoring, the Philippine vessel was approximately 90 nautical miles from Manila and 60 nautical miles west of Mindoro.

In a later update, Hizon raised concern over alleged interference in communications and aerial monitoring, claiming drone operations used by media and volunteers were being jammed.

Atin Ito said its advance party, aboard ML Chowee, was expected to reach Pag-asa Island around 4 p.m. but also reported spotting another Chinese vessel bearing bow number 525, which crew members believed to be a ship of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

The vessel was estimated to be about an hour away from Pag-asa Island at the time of the report.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed support for the civilian-led mission.

“While this is a civilian-led endeavor, we provide our full support through maritime domain awareness and coordination to ensure a safe passage,” AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a statement.

“We stand in solidarity with our fisherfolk and civil society. Their presence reinforces the truth: the West Philippine Sea is an integral part of our nation. We call for a rules-based order where our citizens can freely live and work without intimidation,” he added.

Atin Ito’s fourth civilian mission departed Thursday from Pier 15 at Manila South Harbor, with volunteers, supporters, media partners, and members of the so-called West Philippine Sea bloc in Congress attending the send-off.

Mission commander Rafaela David said the timing of the initiative, ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit in the Philippines next week, aims to highlight maritime issues in the West Philippine Sea.

“This mission sends a clear message to ASEAN leaders: the West Philippine Sea is an integral part of our nation and a zone of peace and solidarity, not one of military aggression,” David said.

She added that the mission also seeks to deliver aid to residents of Pag-asa Island and fisherfolk affected by the global oil crisis.

The operation, running from April 30 to May 5, includes the delivery of food and fuel supplies, medical outreach activities, and a community concert. Organizers also plan a jet ski flag ride, described as a peaceful assertion of Philippine sovereign rights in the area.

Tensions persist in the South China Sea, a major global shipping route, as Beijing continues to assert broad claims over the waters, parts of which are also claimed by the Philippines and several Southeast Asian countries.

The Philippines refers to its maritime zone in the area as the West Philippine Sea, covering waters west of the archipelago including parts of the Luzon Sea and areas around the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, stating China’s expansive claims had “no legal basis,” a decision that Beijing has rejected.