West PH Sea: Chinese ships fire water cannon, harass PH vessels anew – PCG

PHOTO COURTESY OF PCG

MANILA, Philippines —  Five Chinese ships reportedly harassed Philippine vessels conducting a routine maritime patrol within Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday morning.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels 5303, 3302, 3104 and People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels with bow numbers 500 and 571 conducted several aggressive actions against Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels.

“At around 6:30 am, CCG 3302 fired a water cannon at the BRP Datu Pagbuaya (MMOV 3003), aiming directly at the vessel’s navigational antennas while it was located 16 nautical miles south of Bajo de Masinloc,” Tarriela said in a statement.

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“Following this hostile action, CCG 3302 intentionally sideswiped the BRP Datu Pagbuaya on its starboard side. Shortly thereafter, at 6:55 am, CCG 3302 launched a second water cannon attack on the same vessel,” he added.

Aside from these, he said that PCG vessels, including the BRP Teresa Magbanua, “faced blocking, shadowing, and dangerous maneuvers from PLA Navy vessel 500 and CCG 503.”

He added that BRP Cabra was “subjected to reckless maneuvers” by CCG 3104 at a distance of 300 yards.

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Despite this, Tarriela said that the PCG and BFAR reaffirmed their commitment “to protecting the rights and safety of our fishermen within our maritime jurisdiction.”

“We will continue to be vigilant in safeguarding our national interests in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.