PH vessels rammed, harassed by China anew in West Philippine Sea – Malaya

Damage incurred by Philippine Coast Guard ship’s BRP Cape Engaño after the “aggressive maneuvers” of the China Coast Guard. PHOTO FROM THE PCG

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines on Monday said that one of its coast guard vessels was rammed and another subjected to “aggressive maneuvers” by Chinese coast guard ships in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

The National Security Council spokesperson Jonathan Malaya confirmed that  Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships BRP Cape Engaño and BRP Bacagay encountered the China Coast Guard (CCG) on Monday morning while delivering supplies to Lawak and Patag islands.

“Despite these incidents, both Philippine Coast Guard vessels remain committed to, and shall proceed with, their mission of delivering essential supplies stationed to personnel in Lawak and Patag islands,” Malaya said in a forum in Manila.

READ: China, PH ships ‘collided’ in West Philippine Sea, Beijing says

According to Malaya, while navigating 23 nautical miles southeast of Escoda Shoal at approximately 3:24 am, BRP Cape Engaño was “subjected to aggressive maneuvers” by a CCG ship.

“This resulted in a collision with the starboard beam of the vessel, creating [a] hole on the deck with an approximate diameter of five inches,” he added.

READ: PH to China: Escoda Shoal is ours, PCG ship has right to operate there

At 3:40 a.m., Malaya said BRP Bacagay, located approximately 21.3 nautical miles southeast of Escoda Shoal, was “rammed twice,” also causing damage to the ship.

Chinese state media CCTV earlier broke this news, saying the incident between the two countries led to a “glancing collision.”

Beijing’s actions in Escoda Shoal come as Manila maintains a persistent presence there.

BRP Teresa Magbanua, a 97-meter multirole response vessel of the PCG, has been deployed in Sabina Shoal since April 16, becoming the longest-deployed PCG asset in the West Philippine Sea as a response to suspected reclamation activities around the shoal.

CCG’s gigantic patrol cutter had been deployed off Escoda Shoal on July 3, but the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it already left by August 10, staying for a total of 38 days.

Beijing asserts sovereignty in almost the entire South China Sea, including most of the West Philippine Sea, even if such a claim has been effectively invalidated by the arbitral award issued in July 2016. This landmark ruling stemmed from a case filed by Manila in 2013, or a year after its tense standoff with Beijing over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, whose lagoon the latter now has an effective control of.

Chinese publication Global Times also claimed that the Philippines is planning to send another vessel to build a “forward deployment base” but Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said such fears are “unfounded.”

READ: China’s fear of PH base in Sabina Shoal ‘unfounded’ — PCG

A West Philippine Sea monitor said Beijing’s state media and its spokespersons “have been telegraphing their intent to be more aggressive” in Escoda Shoal.

“They have repeatedly implied that the BRP Teresa Magbanua anchored at the shoal is equivalent to the BRP Sierra Madre grounded on Ayungin Shoal, so they are now making similar demands for both places,” SeaLight director Ray Powell, told INQUIRER.net in a message on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.

Powell, program head of Stanford University’s Gordian knot Centerfor National Security Innovation which monitors Chinese vessels activity in South China Sea, said Beijing coast guard’s latest actions against Manila’s vessels “broke virtually every known international maritime law and regulation.”

“In effect, China has moved the battle lines in its gray-zone campaign for the West Philippine Sea to Sabina Shoal — just 75 nautical miles from Palawan,” he also said.