SEVERAL Chinese vessels yesterday harassed a ship of the Philippines’ Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) which was on a “humanitarian mission” in the contested West Philippine Sea, according to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea.
The latest incident involved the BFAR vessel, BRP Datu Sanday, which was harassed by a Chinese Navy ship, several Chinese Coast Guard ships, and eight Chinese maritime militia vessels, the task force said.
The BFAR vessel was rammed and water cannoned several times about 10 nautical miles from Escoda Shoal, which is about 70 nautical miles from mainland Palawan and is well within the country’s 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone.
It is the fifth harassment case to be recorded against Philippine government vessels and aircraft this month.
On August, 8 two Chinese multi-role fighters launched flares on and subjected to dangerous maneuver a Philippine Air Force NC-212i plane conducting routine patrol over Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc and Panatag Shoal.
On August 19, Chinese Coast Guard vessels subjected two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels to dangerous maneuvers near Escoda Shoal, also known as Sabina Shoal. The PCG vessels, which were en route to resupply Filipino troops at two Philippine-held islands, sustained large holes during the incident.
Also on August 19, a Chinese fighter jet launched flares on a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan BFAR aircraft conducting patrol over Scarborough Shoal.
On August 22, the Chinese launched flares from the China-occupied Subi Reef while the same BFAR aircraft was also doing maritime patrol at the vicinity of the highly-militarized reef.
AGGRESSIVE MANEUVERS
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), in a statement, said the BFAR vessel was headed from Hasa-Hasa Shoal to Escoda Shoal when it encountered “aggressive and dangerous maneuvers” from the eight militia vessels.
“The BRP Datu Sanday was targeted by the People’s Liberation Army Navy ship 626 and multiple China Coast Guard ships, which attempted to encircle and block the humanitarian mission,” the NTF-WPS also said.
“The CCG vessels made close perilous maneuvers that resulted in ramming, blasted horns, and deployed water cannons against the BFAR vessel, eventually leading to the latter’s engine failure and forcing an early termination of the humanitarian operation,” it added.
It said the “unprofessional, aggressive, and illegal actions” of the Chinese “posed serious risks to the safety of the Filipino crew and the fishermen they were meant to serve.”
CREW UNHARMED
The NTF-WPS said the crew members of the BFAR vessel were “safe and unharmed,” adding their morale remains high despite the “provocative maneuvers” of the Chinese.
It described as “completely unfounded” the claims of China that crewmembers of the BFAR vessel fell overboard and were subsequently rescued by Chinese Coast Guard personnel.
“This fake news and misinformation serves as a clear illustration of the PRC’s willingness to distort the truth and engage in disinformation to bolster its public image,” the task force said.
The NTF-WPS reiterated its call to China to stop provocative activities which it said undermine peace in the area.
“The Philippine government calls on the People’s Republic of China to halt these provocative actions that destabilize regional peace and security,” it said.
Nevertheless, it said the Philippines will remain steadfast in asserting its rights in the West Philippine Sea, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that provides coastal states 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone, and the 2016 Arbitral Award that invalidated China’s excessive claim in the South China Sea
‘CONTROL MEASURES’
China’s coast guard said it had taken “control measures” against a vessel that had “illegally” entered the waters and repeatedly approached Chinese ships in a dangerous manner.
It said the Philippine ship “ignored repeated serious warnings and deliberately approached and rammed” China’s law enforcement boat, resulting in a collision. It added that responsibility for the collision lies entirely on the Philippine side.
The latest incident overshadows efforts by both nations to rebuild trust and better manage disputes after months of confrontations, including a violent clash in June where a Filipino sailor lost a finger.
China asserts sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, including areas claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brunei. Beijing has deployed an armada of vessels to protect its claims.
An international arbitral tribunal in 2016 ruled Beijing’s claim had no basis under international law, a landmark victory for the Philippines, which filed the case. Beijing rejects that decision.
The Philippines and China agreed to “restore trust” and “rebuild confidence” to manage maritime disputes in a high-level meeting last month. That was followed by a provisional arrangement about Manila’s resupply missions to a beached Filipino naval ship in the South China Sea. — With Reuters
