DFA files yet another protest over Dec. 4 harassment of BFAR ship

‘OVERKILL’ The China Coast Guard (right) does it again on Wednesday, this time on the Datu Pagbuaya of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. —PHOTO FROM THE NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA

The Philippines has again filed another diplomatic protest against Beijing after a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel blasted water cannons at and hit a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel on a resupply mission in Bajo de Masinloc off Zambales.

“It’s very clear. I mean, we were within our legal rights,” Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said on Thursday.

READ: Chinese water cannon blasts, ramming of PH ships continue

“Certainly we don’t understand why China again is repeating these actions which are clearly illegal,” Manalo added.

According to the PCG, the Chinese coast guard vessel with bow No. 3302 blasted with its water cannons on Dec. 4 a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel that was on a routine resupply mission for Filipino fishermen in the area.

Around the same time, two other CCG vessels blocked and harassed two PCG vessels. These were the latest acts of increasing Chinese aggression against Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Teresita Daza said that as of Thursday, 60 diplomatic protests have been sent to China this year, for a total of 193 since the start of the Marcos administration.

Baseless claim

The Chinese foreign ministry, however, defended the CCG ship’s action, calling it “justified, lawful, professional, and restrained,” according to its spokesperson Lin Jian.

Beijing is laying claim to nearly the entire South China Sea, which goes against the 2016 international arbitral award that reaffirms Manila’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone.

Other countries have also expressed their support for the arbitral ruling, including France and the United States.

“The [People’s Republic of China’s] unlawful use of water cannons and dangerous maneuvers disrupted a Philippine maritime operation on Dec. 4, putting lives at risk. We condemn these actions and stand with our like-minded friends, partners, and allies in support of a [Free and open Indo-Pacific].” US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said in a post on X on Wednesday.

“We oppose any threat of use of force contrary to international law and recall the importance of resolving disputes through dialogue. We recall the decision rendered by the Arbitral Court on July 12, 2016,” the French Embassy in Manila said on Wednesday.

Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya also expressed Tokyo’s “serious” concern about the “dangerous actions” against Philippine vessels.

“The use of water cannons and obstructive maneuvers undermine the safety of [the] ship [and] crew. Japan upholds the rule of law and opposes any actions [that] increase tensions,” Endo said.

Other countries, like the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, and the European Union, also expressed their concern over the incident and called for adherence to international law.