MANILA, Philippines — High-pressure water cannons fired from three China Coast Guard (CCG) ships again greeted Philippine vessels delivering food and other provisions yesterday to fishermen in Panatag or Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said yesterday.
Three more Chinese research vessels were also spotted around Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal aside from the one spotted earlier near Samar, the PCG said.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman on the West Philippine Sea, said three CCG ships with bow numbers 3305, 3105 and 5303 fired their water cannons at the PCG’s 44-meter multi-role response vessel BRP Bagacay and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)’s ship BRP Bankaw. The water cannon attacks began at 9:53 a.m., according to Tarriela.
The Bagacay sustained damage to its starboard after it was rammed by a Chinese vessel.
Tarriela said that during their patrol, the two Philippine vessels “encountered dangerous maneuvers and obstruction” from four CCG vessels and six Chinese maritime militia vessels.
“At approximately 9:53 (a.m.), when the BFAR vessel was about 12 nautical miles from Bajo de Masinloc, CCG-3305 utilized its water cannon, directly hitting the starboard astern of the BFAR vessel,” Tarriela said in a statement.
“When the PCG vessel was approximately 1,000 yards east-southeast of Bajo de Masinloc, CCG-3105 and CCG-5303 employed their jet stream water cannons, targeting the PCG vessel from both sides, resulting in damage to the railing and canopy,” the PCG official added.
“This damage serves as evidence of the forceful water pressure used by the China Coast Guard in their harassment of the Philippine vessels,” he added.
He also pointed out that China had again installed a 380-meter floating barrier around the entire entrance of the shoal, thus restricting access to the area.
The PCG official also denied reports that the Chinese “expelled” the PCG and BFAR ships from Bajo de Masinloc.
“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. They were not deterred and will persist in carrying out their legitimate operations to support Filipino fishermen and ensure their safety,” Tarriela said.
Bajo de Masinloc lies about 220 kilometers or 137 miles off the coast of the Philippines and within its exclusive economic zone.
Not surprising
Reacting to the latest show of “unruly behavior” by the Chinese, Sen. Francis Tolentino said he was not surprised, despite the fact that Beijing is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“I don’t see anything unusual with that – a trend, a pattern of unruly behavior that is not expected from a signatory to the law of the sea conference,” Tolentino said on the sidelines of the 33rd founding anniversary of the Philippine National Police Maritime Group at Camp Crame.
He said the Balikatan Exercises should not agitate China as the annual event has been going on for decades.
He stressed the Marcos administration should strengthen the capabilities of the Navy, the Coast Guard and even the police Maritime Group in response to China’s aggression.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada denounced the latest Chinese water cannon attack and called on Beijing “to adhere to international law, practice restraint and refrain from actions that threaten peace and security in the region.”
“We strongly condemn the continuous aggressive actions of the Chinese naval forces that put the lives of our fellow Filipinos at risk by resorting to water cannons. Their interference with our routine and lawful activities within our territorial jurisdiction is unacceptable and must be stopped immediately,” the senator said.
The Pilipinong Nagkakaisa para sa Soberanya (P1NAS) condemned the latest water cannon attacks by the Chinese, calling them a violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“This incident is a stark reminder of China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea and its disregard for our country’s sovereign rights,” P1NAS spokesman Antonio Tinio said in a statement.
He said China is expected to display more aggression in the wake of the recent US-Japan-Philippines trilateral summit where President Marcos admitted being told by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that the Philippines can only invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty if any of its servicemen is killed in an attack by any foreign power.
Tino said Austin’s declaration was tantamount to the US giving China a license to carry on with its gray-zone tactics against Filipino vessels, including the use of water cannons, military-grade lasers and dangerous blocking maneuvers, for as long as these do not result in fatalities.
Unprecedented
The Philippine Navy, meanwhile, said it is monitoring what it called the unprecedented presence of three Chinese research vessels in the vicinity of Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.
Although they appeared to be doing nothing sinister, the military said this was the first time that such type of ships were seen in the area at the height of the Balikatan Exercises.
The three Chinese research vessels were apart from the Shen Kuo, another research ship spotted off Viga in Catanduanes in Luzon’s eastern coast.
“Just a quick glimpse of our monitoring or Chinese navy ships in the area, compared to last week that we have a surge of up to 124, it’s still the same, 124, except that we noticed in Ayungin Shoal three Chinese research or survey ships,” Philippine Navy spokesman for the WPS, Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, said.
“That’s the only difference from last week’s report and also one in the east coast,” he added, referring to the Shen Kuo. It was observed lowering unidentified equipment into the sea which it later pulled out.
Trinidad said the emergence of research vessels around Ayungin Shoal was a first “in the not so distant past.” But he stressed they “were not doing anything, were not monitored doing anything.”
He surmised the appearance of the Chinese survey ships was China’s “way of showing that they are not deterred, they are not scared by what’s happening in the WPS, with the ongoing Balikatan.”
He noted that Shen Kuo’s movement was strange because it headed for the east coast.
“The AFP monitors their actions. The Shen Kuo, we should be monitoring also that because… we have monitored them when they departed Shenzhen last April 22 or 23 and they proceeded to the east coast of Luzon,” he said.
“Their erratic behavior or their erratic track is indicative of conducting studies or possibly maritime research for whatever reason. And the Philippine Air Force on a maritime surveillance flight was able to get a picture of the ship lowering an unidentified equipment probably for scientific research or studies. We are still trying to identify the particular type of equipment that was monitored,” he said. It was observed lowering the unknown device 100 miles east of Catanduanes.
The ship was spotted 30 nautical miles east of Samar yesterday morning.
Asked why the vessel was able to reach Samar without being intercepted, he explained that the Philippine Navy coordinated with the PCG to send a ship to, through the Naval Forces West, which had to turn back because of unfavorable sea conditions.
He said the PCG is waiting for sea conditions to improve before sending out a vessel to intercept the Shen Kuo. — Michael Punongbayan, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Emmanuel Tupas, Pia Lee Brago