By Marie Nicole Manalili

PAG-ASA ISLAND--The Atin Ito Coalition successfully held its third civilian mission within the vicinity of Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) amid the shadowing of Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Atin Ito co-convener Rafaela David said that the success of their third civilian mission, "Concert at Sea for Peace", is a "moment of triumph".

"This is a moment of triumph. This victory is not only for the members of the Atin Ito Coalition but for all Filipinos who dream of peace and justice, especially when it comes to the issue of the West Philippine Sea (WPS)", David said.

As of 1 pm, CCG 21549 was monitored around 3.28 nautical miles from T/S Kapitan Felix Oca. The civilian vessel arrived within the vicinity of Pag-asa island around the same time.

The civilian ship captain, Jorge Dela Cruz, said that T/S Kapitan Felix Oca was able to reach "two to three nautical miles" of Pag-asa Island as it was shadowed by CCG 21359 prior on its arrival.

In a press statement, PCG said that " BRP Melchora Aquino and BRP Malapascua have successfully completed their primary mission of escorting the Atin Ito convoy from El Nido Port to the vicinity off Pagasa Island, Palawan".

"This vigilance is particularly important due to the presence of three China Coast Guard vessels nearby. CCG 5103 is located 1.72 nautical miles West of Pagasa Island, while CCG 21559 is also 2 nautical miles away from the anchored M/V Kapitan Oca. Additionally, CCG 3306 is maintaining a distance of 4.6 nautical miles from Pagasa", PCG said.

PCG added that it monitored "twenty-two Chinese Maritime Militia vessels anchored at Pagasa Cay 2, Cay 3, and Cay 4, approximately 1.5 nautical miles off the starboard bow of MRRV 9702"

The concert was held inside the civilian vessel, on its bridge with an overlook of Pag-asa Island due to inclement weather.

It featured five artists including Indonesian artist Kai Mata, Malaysian artist Viona, South Korean girl group I:Mond, P-pop group HORI7ON, and Filipino rap collective Morobeats.

At the same time, twenty-two containers with10 liters of fuel were given to eleven fishermen from Pag-asa Island. DMS