A China-made drone deployed by a Philippine civilian mission to the West Philippine Sea failed to take off after receiving prompts requiring registration with Chinese authorities, sparking alarm over sovereignty and airspace control. The incident occurred while the Atin Ito Coalition’s vessel was well within Philippine territory, just 127 nautical miles from Mindoro.

The Atin Ito Coalition reported that its drone operator AJ Ventura was unable to launch a DJI drone during their fourth civilian mission to Pag-asa Island. “Parang nagiging dayuhan tayo sa sarili ng ating bansa, because why do we need to register our drone to their CAAC when in fact our drones are already registered to our country? Nasa Pilipinas pa naman tayo. Bakit natin kailangan i-register sa kanila? Very disappointed,” Ventura said, referring to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Coalition leader Rafaela David stressed that the incident was troubling because the mission was operating within the Manila Flight Information Region, which is under the jurisdiction of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. “Ito ay nakakabahala. Kailangan nating pag-aralan pa lalo ito kasi this is a violation of our sovereignty,” she said.

The mission was also shadowed by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel, bow number 3103, which had previously used a long-range acoustic device against the BRP Cabra in January 2025. David noted that the Chinese ship began escorting them just 60 nautical miles west of Mindoro, well inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. 

“Sila pa talaga yung nag-e-escort sa atin, kaya nakakabahala kasi definitely nasa loob pa po ito ng West Philippine Sea pero umaastang ayun na naman, siga ang China,” she added.

Atin Ito spokesperson Emman Hizon further claimed that Chinese presence was jamming drone operations used by media and volunteers. Ventura reported that his drone displayed a “Navigation System Error” for 45 minutes, a problem he had never encountered in previous missions. “There is a possibility we are being blocked by CAAC,” Hizon said.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila responded by accusing Atin Ito of “provocative activities under the pretext of safeguarding the Philippines’ territorial sovereignty,” vowing that China would “continue to resolutely safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests”.

Despite the setbacks, Atin Ito’s advance party successfully reached Pag-asa Island to deliver food and fuel supplies. The mission, which runs from April 30 to May 5, aims to provide humanitarian support and assert Philippine sovereignty through peaceful civilian presence.

The drone malfunction highlights growing concerns that Chinese technology may be subject to remote restrictions even within Philippine territory, raising questions about airspace control, digital sovereignty, and the risks of relying on foreign-made equipment in sensitive missions.