MANILA, Philippines — IngIt’s still best not to hit back in the face of water cannon attacks by the Chinese, as retaliating would give them an excuse for an escalation, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela said yesterday.
Last Tuesday, the China Coast Guard (CCG) unleashed what could be its fiercest water cannon attack yet on Philippine vessels on humanitarian mission for fishermen in Panatag Shoal. The attack caused serious damage to the PCG’s BRP Bagacay and the MV Bankaw of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
While generally praised for its tenacity, the PCG was also maligned on social media supposedly for cowardice for not retaliating against the Chinese.
“I think it’s unfair for the PCG to be labeled as coward, for not using its water cannon. In the first place, if they do really think that the coast guards are cowards, they should have already stopped this (humanitarian missions) in the first place, they should have already stopped publicizing this (Chinese attacks),” he said in an interview over radio dzBB.
The pressure from Chinese water cannons was reportedly more than 200 pounds per square inch or powerful enough to make a dent on metal or even kill.
PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gavan has ordered an immediate damage assessment on BRP Bagacay.
PCG’s Metro Manila and Central Luzon district acting commander Commodore Arnaldo Lim said repairs for the damaged 44-meter vessel, the 10th in its current fleet, could cost between P2 million and P3 million.
Tarriela said the Chinese water cannon attack on Tuesday violated international law and should no longer be considered a “grey zone tactic.” The Philippines continuously asserts the 2016 arbitral ruling that upheld the country’s exclusive economic zone and invalidated China’s claims.
“What we need to realize is we need to deescalate the tension and we should not be the reason for China to say ‘see, you’re provoking us by fighting us with water cannons,” he said. This would further embolden the Chinese to send in more ships to Philippine waters.
The PCG has maintained its patrol vessels will use water cannons only for firefighting.
“That’s what they’ve been doing (water cannon attacks), so we just let them. We can get hurt. But we will not give them a reason to elevate the tension, bring in more vessels and PLA Navy warship that we can’t match,” Tarriela said.
He also reiterated the PCG’s commitment to “always be ready to support” missions of the BFAR and the military.
Damaged structure
PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo, confirmed that Bagacay sustained damage to its superstructure, the ship’s main area.
Balilo added that its crew would be made to undergo comprehensive medical checkups to ensure their well-being.
“Our personnel understand the risks but continue to fulfill their duties as public servants. We want to ensure that the Command provides for their needs while performing the PCG’s mandated functions,” Balilo said.
BFAR spokesman Nazario Briguera said Bankaw will continue to provide livelihood support to fisherfolk in Panatag Shoal, even as a damage assessment is being done on the vessel.
“We can still use it. It is not totally damaged. We will conduct a comprehensive assessment on MV Bankaw so that it can resume operation after being fixed,” Briguera said.
Bankaw, he said, had at least 15 crewmembers onboard excluding the members of the media, when attacked.
“No personnel were hurt. We have 15 crew and the embedded journalists,” he said
Briguera said that based on initial assessment, the radio system and electrical navigation of Bankaw were damaged.
“This was because of the eight instances of high pressure water cannon of the Chinese coast guard and Chinese militia. Unlike in the previous incident, there were also three incidents of ramming. We condemn this irresponsible and inhumane action of China against our ship,” Briguera added.