MANILA – Philippine vessels encountered “aggressive actions” from at least five Chinese ships over at the contested West Philippine Sea on Wednesday.
In a statement, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said they were conducting a routine maritime patrol with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) near Bajo de Masinloc to support Filipino fishermen when the aggression happened.
“During this operation, our vessels encountered aggressive actions from several Chinese Coast Guard vessels, specifically CCG 5303, 3302, 3104, as well as People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels with bow numbers 500 and 571,” PCG spokesperson on West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela said in a social media post.
Tarriela added that, at around 6 a.m., a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) fired a water cannon at the BRP Datu Pagbuaya navigational antennas before they “intentionally sideswiped” the Filipino vessel.
Tarriela further said that, moments later, the China ship launched a second water cannon attack on the same Philippine vessel.
The official also reported that the PCG vessels, including the BRP Teresa Magbanua, “faced blocking, shadowing, and dangerous maneuvers from PLA Navy vessel 500 and CCG 503.”
The BRP Cabra was also “subjected to reckless maneuvers by CCG 3104 at a distance of 300 yards.”
Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Panatag and Scarborough Shoal, is located off Masinloc, Zambales, within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Philippines and China have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea, with several collisions involving Filipino and Chinese vessels in recent months, as well as water cannoning by the CCG./PN
