A Chinese military jet and helicopter harassed a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) aircraft conducting maritime domain awareness flight over the Scarborough Shoal, a Coast Guard official reported on Wednesday night.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman for the West Philippine Sea said during the flight the PCG aircraft was subjected to aggressive interference by forces from China.

"Immediately following the low-altitude pass of a People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy helicopter directly beneath the PCG aircraft, a PLA Air Force Shenyang J-16 fighter jet was deployed to harass and endanger the safe flight path," he said.

"Such actions pose a clear and unacceptable risk to the safety of PCG personnel and the journalists embedded on the mission," he added.

In the face of such aggressive actions, Tarriela assures that the "PCG remains steadfast in its commitment to uphold international law and safeguard maritime jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea."

"As directed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the PCG is resolute in ensuring that our territory, sovereignty, and sovereign rights are properly protected so that our fishermen can safely fish in our own maritime jurisdiction," he said.

Tarriela also mentioned that during the flight, the PCG discovered a second yellow floating buoy installed at the northern tip of the shoal.

He noted that an initial buoy placed in the center of the shoal was also monitored last Tuesday.

During the flight, the PCG has secured the precise coordinates of a reported structure observed during last Tuesday's operations.

"These coordinates have enabled a thorough review of historical satellite imagery, confirming the presence of structural debris dating back at least two years. This verification underscores that the debris is longstanding and not indicative of recent construction," said Tarriela. Robina Asido/DMS