Commodore Jay Tariela, spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard. INQUIRER.net file photo/Arnel Tacson
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) West Philippine Sea spokesperson Commodore Jay Tariela accused China of using Automatic Identification System (AIS) spoofing to mislead the international community and incite public concerns.
Talela’s comments came after residents of San Felipe, Zambales, raised the alarm after seeing a suspected China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel near a dredging site in the province through a marine tracker.
“It is clear that the China Coast Guard is engaging in AIS spoofing to mislead the international community, confuse authorities, and incite public concern,” Tariela said in a tweet.
AIS spoofing involves manipulating AIS data to deceive maritime vessels or monitoring systems.
Tallera said it was “ironic” that China was ignoring the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea and undermining maritime security.
“By analyzing the 60-day track of CCG-21543, it can be found that the ship is actually unable to navigate these routes. They are likely using the AIS signals of other ships for spoofing activities,” he said.
He added: “In the Philippines, they are probably using dredgers to manipulate AIS.
After San Felipe residents raised the alarm, Philippine Coast Guard Station Zambales Chief Euphraim Jason DiCiano assured residents that all vessels were under close surveillance, noting that their sighting of the suspected Chinese Coast Guard vessel could have been due to a technical malfunction.