Wescom sends surveillance aircraft to ensure safety of Atin Ito mission

The Armed Forces of the Philippines deploys a surveillance aircraft to make sure that participants of Atin Ito’s third mission arrive safely at the West Philippine Sea. Nestor Corrales/ Philippine Daily Inquirer

ABOARD T/S FELIX OCA, West Philippine Sea — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Command (Wescom) has deployed a surveillance aircraft to ensure the safety of participants of Atin Ito’s third civilian mission to the West Philippine Sea, according to the Akbayan party list president Rafaela David.

The aircraft, which appears to be a Philippine Navy islander, was seen flying near Training Ship (T/S) Felix Oca twice on Tuesday afternoon.

WATCH: A Philippine Navy islander is seen flying near the M/V Kapitan Felix Oca en route Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea. pic.twitter.com/V00fxzMGKP

— Nestor A. Corrales (@NCorralesINQ) May 27, 2025

“We were informed today that Wescom will deploy a surveillance aircraft to ensure that our mission is safe,” David, a convenor of Atin Ito Coalition, said in Filipino during a short interview with reporters.

“We don’t know the route of the surveillance aircraft, but we are at ease to see that the government is monitoring our mission,” she added in Filipino.

The civilian ship carries Atin Ito volunteers, local and foreign musical artists, and media members.

Earlier, T/S Felix Oca Captain Jorge Dela Cruz reported sighting two Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels near the T/S Felix Oca, which was about 40 nautical miles away from El Nido at around 7:40 a.m.

Less than an hour later, at 8:32 a.m., one of the CCG vessels issued a radio challenge against the civilian ship and Philippine Coast Guard vessels behind it.

READ: ‘Atin Ito ship to turn back if China aggression escalates’ 

Based on PCG’s latest update, CCG vessels 3306 and 21549 continue to shadow the Atin Ito convoy, now approximately 58 nautical miles from El Nido.

The civilian ship is expected to arrive in the vicinity of Pag-asa Island on Wednesday morning (May 28). In the area, the coalition will stage a peace concert featuring local and foreign musical artists from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Korea.

Since January, Philippine authorities have been monitoring the movements of CCG vessels “unlawfully operating” within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Beijing’s continued aggression was based on its assertion of sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including most of the West Philippine Sea, as it continues to reject the 2016 arbitral ruling that effectively dismissed its claims and ruled in favor of Manila. /jpv