AFP: Chinese coast guard's ramming of 3 Filipino fishing boats 'disturbing'

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Thursday said it is alarmed by the ramming of three Philippine fishing vessels by a Chinese ship in Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) and has vowed to help build up the country’s arbitration case against China.

AFP spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla said what made the incident disturbing was the fact that the local fishing vessels rammed by the Chinese Coast Guard ship were seeking shelter from the bad weather.

“We are deeply concerned and alarmed with the developments in Bajo Masinloc,” Padilla told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.

“What is disturbing and alarming is we have confirmed through our Philippine Navy and Coast Guard brethren that these fishermen went to seek shelter during the height of a very stormy sea,” he added.

Padilla said they are gathering information about the incident so they can boost the Philippines’ complaint against China’s territorial incursions.

“We continue to work with the Department of Foreign Affairs to ascertain all these information and work with them to document all these occurrences so we can add this to our case,” he added.

Panatag Shoal is located 124 nautical miles from the nearest point in Zambales and is well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

In 2012, Chinese surveillance ships prevented the Philippine Navy from arresting Chinese fishermen who had poached endangered marine species from the shoal, which is also known as Bajo de Masinloc.

China has since maintained its presence in the area, long considered a traditional fishing route of local residents.

Last Thursday, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel intentionally rammed three Philippine-flagged fishing vessels, the first time such incident took place in the shoal.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the intentional ramming by the Chinese ship caused damage to local fishing boats and endangered the lives and safety of fishermen on board.

A week earlier, the Philippine Coast Guard spotted at least 24 Chinese utility boats collecting giant clams in the lagoon of Bajo de Masinloc.

Chinese fishing vessels were also seen transporting collected giant clams to other boats.

“The act of harvesting giant clams, which are among the most endangered marine species, entails the crushing and destruction of surrounding corals which result in the permanent destruction of the reef itself,” DFA said in a statement.

The DFA said China’s toleration of harmful fishing practices by its nationals is a breach of its obligations under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

The Philippines has protested the Chinese vessels’ actions in the shoal and has called on China to respect its sovereignty.