MANILA (August 17) – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) disclosed on Saturday that it was unable to deploy drones during the August 11 collision between two Chinese vessels in Bajo de Masinloc, citing suspected signal jamming.
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said they believe China interfered with their drone systems to prevent documentation of the incident.
“This time around, we were not able to launch drones because we believed China was blocking our drones from taking off,” Tarriela said during the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City. “We were unable to fly the drone to record the incident and to document the illegal actions of the People’s Republic of China (PROC).”
He noted it was the first time the PCG encountered suspected electronic jamming in the area. The Coast Guard is now assessing ways to counter such disruptions and ensure drones can still be deployed in future operations.
Tarriela clarified that the Philippines was not responsible for the collision, which involved a People’s Liberation Army Navy vessel and a China Coast Guard ship. He stressed that tensions arise solely from Beijing’s “dangerous actions and illegal presence” within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“We’re not provoking anybody. The reason why there is tension is because of dangerous actions and illegal presence within our exclusive economic zone,” he said.
