Fire water cannons at patrolling ships
THREE Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannons at two Philippine vessels near the Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, in the West Philippine Sea last Monday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported yesterday.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said the two vessels were patrolling the area and distributing food and fuel to Filipino fishermen in the area when they were harassed.
It was the latest flare-up of tensions between the two countries in the disputed waters.
Last March, Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannons at a Philippine vessel on a resupply mission to a contingent of Filipino marines on another contested South China Sea feature, Second Thomas Shoal, causing “heavy damages.”
Tarriela said the harassed vessels were the BRP Bacagay of the PCG and BRP Bankaw of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). He said the two vessels were “assigned to carry out a legitimate maritime patrol in the waters near Bajo de Masinloc.
National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said the BFAR and PCG vessels were damaged.
Malaya said the BFAR ship was water cannoned eight times and rammed three times by Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels.
“The primary objective of this mission was to distribute fuel and food supplies, highlighting our commitment to supporting the fishermen in accordance with the President’s food security policy,” said Tarriela.
He said the two vessels experienced “dangerous maneuvers and obstruction” from the Chinese Coast Guard and six maritime militia during the mission.
One of the Chinese Coast Guard vessels, with bow number 3305, fired its water cannon at BRP Bankaw at 9:53 a.m. while it was 12 nautical miles from the shoal. Tarriela said the vessel was directly hit at the “starboard astern” or left side of its backside.
Two other Chinese Coast Guard vessels, with bow numbers 3105 and 5303, also fired water cannons at BRP Bagacay while the latter was 1,000 yards or .49 nautical miles east southeast of Scarborough Shoal.
Tarriela said the Chinese vessels targeted the PCG vessel “from sides, resulting in damage to the railing and canopy.
“This damage serves as evidence of the forceful water pressure used by the China Coast Guard in their harassment of the Philippine vessels,” said Tarriela, adding the Chinese Coast Guard installed a 380-meter floating barrier at the shoal’s entrance, “effectively restricting access to the area.
“Despite the harassment and provocative actions of the Chinese Coast Guard, both the PCG and BFAR vessels stood their ground and continued their maritime patrol,” said Tarriela.
“They were not deterred and will persist in carrying out their legitimate operations to support Filipino fishermen and ensure their safety.”
“These latest demonstrations of China’s illegal and irresponsible behavior highlight their egregious disregard for the Philippines’ lawful exercise of its rights and entitlements in our own EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone),” said Malaya.
“Clearly, China has no regard for the welfare of our fishermen who only want to make a decent living in the WPS (West Philippine Sea),” added Malaya.
He said China’s actions put into question their sincerity in their call for dialogue and peaceful approaches to de-escalate the situation in the area.
“The Philippines will continue to act peacefully and responsibly, consistent with a rules-based international law, on the basis of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the valid and binding 2016 Arbitral Award,” said Malaya.
“Peace and stability in the region cannot be achieved if countries, big or small, do not exercise due regard for the well-established and legally-settled rights of others,” added Malaya.
He said the country will not be deterred from pursuing “legitimate and lawful activities” in its maritime zones, including at Scarborough Shoal which it said is a “vital source of livelihood for our fisherfolk.”
China gained control of the shoal, about 124 nautical miles from Zambales, in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels.
Since then, China has prevented Filipino fishermen from fishing inside the lagoon of the shoal. Chinese vessels have also harassed PCG and Filipino fishing vessels in the vicinity of the shoal in the past.
No country has sovereignty over the strategically located Scarborough Shoal, a prime fishing patch used by several countries that is close to major shipping lanes. The shoal falls inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
China’s coast guard said the Philippine vessels were expelled but did not provide details of the incident.
“China urges the Philippine side to immediately stop its provocative acts of infringement and not challenge China’s firm determination to safeguard its sovereignty,” said Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, at a regular press briefing.
“China’s coast guard took necessary measures in line with the law to firmly expel them.”
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China’s expansive claim had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected.
China and the Philippines have traded accusations of illegal conduct at the Scarborough Shoal and Manila recently summoned a Chinese diplomat to explain what it calls aggressive maneuvers. China typically accuses the Philippines of encroaching on its territory.
China and the Philippines previously said they would seek better communications and management around skirmishes in the vast South China Sea, but tensions have increased recently, as the Philippines forges stronger diplomatic and military ties with the ally the United States.
CHINESE VESSELS SIGHTED
The military has sighted three Chinese research vessels near the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippines, on top of a similar Chinese vessel seen on the country’s eastern coast.
Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said the deployment of these research vessels could be China’s way of sending the message that it is not scared by the ongoing Balikatan exercise between the Philippines and the United States.
The annual huge-scale exercise started last April 22 and is due to end on May 10. Navy ships from the Philippines, the US and France conducted a multi-lateral maritime exercise in the West Philippine Sea from April 25 to 29 as part of the Balikatan.
“The three Chinese research vessels in Ayungin Shoal and the one on the east coast, it (their presence) coincided with the BK (Balikatan),” said Trinidad told a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday.
“It is their way of showing that they are not deterred, they are not scared by what’s happening in the West Philippine Sea, (that) they timed it (presence) with our conduct of BK,” said Trinidad.
Trinidad said the three research vessels have been monitored by the Navy since April 24.
“The three vessels in Ayungin Shoal were not doing anything, were not monitored doing anything. We monitor them, we continuously monitor them,” added Trinidad.
In a statement last night, AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the three Chinese research vessels deployed boats to Ayungin Shoal.
Trinidad said the vessels have bow numbers 3301, 20027, and 20030.
Trinidad said the three vessels launched four sampans (wooden boats), each manned by six personnel, and two rigid inflatable boats (RHIBs) each with five personnel some 1,000 yards west of BRP Sierra Madre, where the troops at Ayungin Shoal are staying.
Trinidad said two RHIBs were launched from BRP Sierra Madre “to monitor the activity and drove away the sampans and RHIBs (of the Chinese) from the area.”
“The sampans and the RHIBs left the vicinity accordingly,” said Trinidad.
While the three research vessels are civilians, Trinidad said “we expect them that in times of crisis, they will come under the Chinese military commission.”
Last Sunday, the military sighted the research vessel Shen Kuo off Rapu-Rapu Island in Albay. An Air Force aircraft spotted the vessel in Viga, Catanduanes on April 27.
As of yesterday morning, the vessel was observed off Sulat, Eastern Samar, according to the AFP Visayas Command (Viscom).
Trinidad said the vessel left Shenzhen City last April 23 and proceeded to the Philippines’ east coast.
He said the vessel’s “erratic track is indicative of conducting studies or possibly maritime research for whatever reason.”
Trinidad reported that the vessel was monitored by an Air Force aircraft lowering “unidentified equipment probably for scientific research studies” about 100 nautical miles east of Catanduanes.
“We are still trying to identify the particular type of equipment that was monitored,” he said, adding the Coast Guard dispatched a ship to verify the information.
“But the ship had to turn back because of unfavorable sea conditions. The Coast Guard is looking for the most favorable time before it could send out a ship,” said Trinidad.
Trinidad said the government has not authorized the conduct of a survey by a foreign country inside the country’s territory.
“We checked with the appropriate government agency. There was no request for the conduct of a marine scientific research activity,” said Trinidad.
Viscom said it is “diligently monitoring” the unauthorized presence of the Shen Kuo.
“Viscom will remain committed to upholding the Philippine sovereignty and ensure the integrity of the country’s territory, particularly here in the Visayas region,” said Viscom commander Lt. Gen. Fernando Reyeg. “We will continuously monitor this vessel and will address this incident through diplomatic channels in accordance with international maritime laws and protocols.”
Reyeg said the AFP has coordinated with law enforcement agencies in Eastern Samar Visayas, particularly the PCG, for the “conduct of surveillance and address this
unauthorized presence as well as investigate possible illegal activities that this vessel might have been conducting in the area.
“Rest assured that Viscom, as your reliable Armed Forces in the Visayas will always adhere to our mandate of preserving the integrity of our national territory, particularly here in the Visayas and safeguard our nation’s interest,” added Reyeg.
CHINESE VIOLATION
The military yesterday accused China of violating the Notice to Mariners that the Philippines issued for sending ships to observe the multilateral maritime exercise (MME) conducted by the Philippines, the US, and France under the ongoing Balikatan exercise.
In a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Balikatan executive agent Col. Michael Logico said the military is consolidating the incident report for submission to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS).
“That will be up to NTF-WPS to decide,” Logico said on whether the government will take diplomatic action against China.
The AFP Western Command reported the sighting of two Chinese Navy vessels about 33 nautical miles northwest of Quezon town in Palawan on Monday.
The Chinese ships were about four to five nautical miles away from the navy ships of the Philippines, the US, and France which conducted gunnery exercises in the area that day.
“There was an existing Notice to Mariners. That NOTAM is for their safety because we are also conducting gunnery exercises in the area,” said Logico.
“So for them to enter into our training area, knowing fully well that we are conducting these types of activities, it was a big risk on their part for them to do that,” added Logico.
A military official said the NOTAM was issued by the government to all vessels for them to avoid the exercise’s “operational box” during the five-day MME that ended last Monday afternoon for safety purposes.
“They entered an established training area that has been covered by Notice to Mariners.
That was (issued) for their safety and for the safety of all commercial vessels. Entering it was a big risk on their part,” said Logico.
In jest, Logico said there were 15 foreign observers in the Balikatan exercise.
“I was wrong. I thought there were just 14 countries that would be sending observers.
Apparently, there’s a 15th country that sent observers,” said Logico, referring to Chinese Navy ships that observed the MME last Monday.
“They have the best seat in the house because they were able to witness the best of the Philippine Navy, the US Navy and the French Navy,” said Logico, adding they anticipated China’s presence during the MME.
He said the military would be disappointed if the Chinese did not show up.
“That means we were not important but we were important enough for them to show up.
That’s the important thing,” he said.
“We expected it to happen which is good because they get to observe us and they get a chance to be impressed by our skills,” added Logico.
He said China’s deployment means that “whatever we did was deeply troubling them, deeply affecting them that they saw a need to send two ships. As I said earlier, that is not our problem, that is their problem.”
Logico also said that a Philippine Air Force aircraft conducted a resupply mission for troops at the Philippine-occupied Patag Island during the MME.
He said the aircraft conducted two “passes” of resupply — one through parachute and the other through airdrop — last Saturday.
Logico said the aircraft passed above the ships involved in the MME.
He said the US and France were not involved in the resupply mission.
“This was all unilateral on our part. We saw a training opportunity to conduct a resupply exercise while the group sail was ongoing,” said Logico.
