Success! Atin Ito mission reaches Pag-asa Island

MANILA, Philippines — Making history once again, the Atin Ito coalition’s fourth civilian-led mission to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) successfully reached Pag-asa Island yesterday, despite the shadowing and presence of at least three China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels and a possible People’s Liberation Army Navy warship in the vicinity.

At 5:30 p.m., Captain Jorge dela Cruz of the MV Kapitan Felix Oca ordered an engine stop exactly 2.3 nautical miles south of Pag-asa Island, as they waited for the ML Chowee, a smaller boat that helped deliver food, fuel and school supplies and other goods in advance.

Apart from asserting Philippine sovereignty and territorial rights in the WPS, the civilian mission brought much-needed donations to some 500 island residents, especially fisherfolk affected by skyrocketing fuel prices.

Saturday night’s events on the island, organized by Atin Ito, included a meet and greet with local officials of Kalayaan, distribution of goods and a cultural concert led by Filipino rap collective, Morobeats.

Other activities, including an island tour, are expected to continue today before the mission’s scheduled departure in the afternoon.

As the Kapitan Felix Oca made its way to Pag-asa Island, the Philippine Coast Guard yesterday confirmed that CCG vessel 3103 shadowed the civilian vessel.

Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman on the WPS, said the CCG vessel was located approximately three nautical miles from the mission ship while it moved northeast of Pag-asa Island.

Some 10 nautical miles away from Pag-asa Island, two more CCG vessels were monitored, as CCG 3103 continued to shadow the Kapitan Felix Oca.

Atin Ito lashed back at China yesterday over its claims that the group’s missions to the WPS are failures.

“China said Atin Ito failed its mission, but from what we see it’s them that have failed in their mission to scare Filipinos,” Akbayan president Rafaela David told reporters.

“We’re already on our fourth mission. Which means it’s taken them years to try and scare us, but we continue to civilianize, regularize and normalize Filipinos sailing the West Philippine Sea,” she added.

“Actually, it’s historic that foreign and local media – for the first time – are able to do live coverage in the WPS. So, we are doing so many historic things. Tomorrow will be historic as well: it will be the first time there will be jet-skiing at Pag-asa Island which, of course, is part of the WPS,” David said. — Andrew Ronquillo