Overview
- The Philippine Coast Guard, which activated the new Spratly district Thursday, placed a commodore on Pag-asa with a dedicated headquarters.
- The district covers about 68,000 square kilometers and brings a permanently stationed ship, added response vessels and specialists, deeper port dredging, and upgrades for the Kota and Parola outposts.
- Chinese Coast Guard ships were seen patrolling near Thitu and issued radio warnings to a plane carrying an AFP journalist en route to the ceremony.
- Manila says the command will protect Filipino fishermen and livelihoods, and top officials including Transport Secretary Giovanni Lopez, Senator Erwin Tulfo, and Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan attended the unveiling tied to the Day of Valor.
- Beijing claims most of the South China Sea despite a 2016 ruling that rejected those claims, and Thitu’s roughly 400 residents now expect closer law-enforcement support with Subi Reef’s Chinese base only about 24 kilometers away.