LOOK: PH ship damaged after China Coast Guard’s water cannon attack

Photos courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard

MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine fisheries vessel sustained damage and a crew member was injured on Tuesday after two China Coast Guard (CCG) ships fired water cannons at it near Bajo de Masinloc, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

The BRP Datu Gumbay Piang (MMOV 3014), operated by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), was delivering fuel and supplies to fishermen as part of the government’s “Kadiwa para sa Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda” program when it was attacked, Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said on Tuesday.

Tarriela said at about 9:14 a.m., CCG vessel with hull number 5201 directed a water cannon at the vessel’s starboard side while it was 14 nautical miles east of the shoal.

Photo shows the injured ear of a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources crew member after a flying glass hit him when a China Coast Guard ship blasted their vessel with a water cannon near Bajo de Masinloc.

The barrage lasted roughly 29 minutes, damaging the bridge windows, cabin partitions, electrical systems and air conditioning units. He added that one BFAR crew member was hurt by a flying glass.

At the same time, CCG ship with hull number 21562 attacked the vessel’s port side from 17 nautical miles east of the shoal.

Meanwhile, a Chinese maritime militia vessel identified as CMM 00001 attempted similar maneuvers when the Philippine vessel was about 10 nautical miles east, but the Datu Gumbay Piang evaded further damage before rejoining nine other BFAR vessels in the area, according to the statement.

Photos show the damaged bridge windows, cabin partitions, electrical systems and air-conditioning units of the BRP Datu Gumbay Piang after two China Coast Guard ships blasted it with water cannons.

Earlier in the morning, a People’s Liberation Army Navy warship with bow number 525 broadcast a notice of live-fire exercises over maritime radio, sparking fear among Filipino fishermen operating nearby, Tarriela said.

In a statement carried by Chinese state media Global Times, China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu accused Manila of organizing “over 10 government ships” that “illegally intruded into the territorial waters” of China from multiple directions.

Gan said Chinese ships issued loudspeaker warnings, used water cannons, and claimed that a Philippine vessel “intentionally rammed” a Chinese coast guard ship in what he called “an unprofessional and dangerous manner.”

The pictures show the damage sustained by a Philippine fisheries vessel and the injury of a crew member after two China Coast Guard ships fired water cannons at the Philippine boat near Bajo de Masinloc on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.

Despite the incident, the PCG and BFAR vowed to continue supporting fishing communities and protecting the country’s maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea.

Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, lies 124 nautical miles off Zambales and has been under Chinese control since 2012.

The 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling rejected China’s sweeping claims over the West Philippine Sea and affirmed Filipino fisherfolk’s right to fish in the traditional fishing grounds. /apl