PH Coast Guard ship evades China counterpart’s water cannon

This frame grab from handout video footage taken and released on April 30, 2024, by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Bagacay (center) being hit by water cannons from Chinese Coast Guard vessels near the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea. The Philippines said the China Coast Guard fired water cannons on April 30 at two of its vessels, causing damage to one of them, during a patrol near a reef off the Southeast Asian country. (Photo by Handout / Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines—A Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel evaded a water cannon attack by the China Coast Guard off Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal on Monday.

The PCG vessel BRP Suluan (MRV 4406) was among the ships deployed there for a mission for Filipino fishermen, according to Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea affairs.

 “During the operation, Philippine vessels and fishermen encountered hazardous maneuvers and blocking actions from other vessels in the vicinity,” Tarriela said in a statement.

 “In particular, the MRRV 4406 was targeted with a water cannon, but the seamanship skills [of] PCG crew members allowed the vessel to successfully evade from getting hit,” he added. /gsg