Coast Guard denies deliberate collision with China vessel at Scarborough

The red box in the photo shows the location of China’s so-called “live-fire exercise” based on grid coordinates provided by People’s Liberation Army-Navy vessel 525. PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said no drills were conducted, noting the announcement appeared intended only to scare Filipino fishermen. (Photo courtesy of the Philippine Coast Guard)

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday rejected China’s claim that a Philippine fisheries vessel deliberately hit a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship near Scarborough Shoal, citing video evidence and eyewitness accounts that the incident was caused by aggressive water cannon attacks from Chinese vessels.

The incident occurred during a government resupply mission over the weekend near Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc), where more than 10 Philippine government ships—including 10 Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels, two PCG ships, and one civilian vessel under the Department of Agriculture’s Kadiwa program—escorted over 40 Filipino fishing boats.

On Tuesday, China claimed that a Philippine vessel intentionally rammed one of its ships, according to state media outlet Global Times.

The report said the Philippine government organized over 10 vessels to “illegally intrude” into the waters of Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal) and that CCG ships took regulatory measures, including issuing warnings and using water cannons.

China described the alleged incident as “unprofessional and dangerous” and held the Philippines fully responsible for the supposed collision.

Tarriela said in a press briefing at the West Philippine Sea Transparency Group office in Manila that the claims are false. 

“It was a BFAR vessel on stationary, subjected to a water cannon by two China Coast Guard vessels. And the China Coast Guard vessel did a sharp turn enough to at least touch the bow of the BFAR vessel. So there was no collision,” he said.

“It was their own like bump-me-something, creative digital editing.”

PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a press briefing in Manila that no drills were conducted by China, noting the announcement of a “live-fire exercises” appeared intended only to scare Filipino fishermen. (Gabryelle Dumalag / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

The PCG reported that the most serious water cannon attack occurred at 9:43 a.m. Tuesday, when a CCG vessel with hull number 5201 targeted the BFAR vessel BRP Datu Gumbay Piang.

The move shattered the vessel’s bridge windows, disabled its air-conditioning and electrical systems, and caused a minor injury to a crew member hit by glass fragments. 

At least two other BFAR vessels were also subjected to water cannon assaults but sustained no damage.

Tarriela emphasized that the Philippine operation, part of the Kadiwa para sa Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda program, is aimed at delivering fuel, ice, and groceries to local fishermen while ensuring their safety amid persistent Chinese harassment.

Outside China’s ‘effective control’

Despite the water cannon incidents, the PCG maintained that Scarborough Shoal remains outside China’s “effective control.” 

“The mere fact that more than 10 Philippine government vessels and 40 Filipino fishing boats were there proves they cannot prevent us from accessing the area,” Tarriela said.

According to Tarriela, nine CCG ships, with hull numbers 3105, 3302, 3305, 3306, 4202, 5101, 5201, 21559, and 21562, and five People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships were spotted near the shoal, along with at least four Chinese maritime militia vessels, one of which attempted to use water cannons against a Philippine vessel.

Threat to fisherfolk

The operation also faced a threatened live-fire exercise announced by a PLAN warship at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, which overlapped with Philippine fishing grounds.

No live fire was conducted. 

“We believe it was just a threat to scare our fishermen into leaving the area,” Tarriela said.

Tarriela shared lessons learned from the deployment of numerous BFAR vessels, noting that the large presence of government ships boosts the confidence of Filipino fishermen in returning to Bajo de Masinloc. 

“As our fishermen have said, when they see the Coast Guard and BFAR ships, they feel safer and less threatened by Chinese vessels,” he said.

The Philippines deployed BRP Gabriela Silang (OPB-8301) and BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409) from the Coast Guard, along with 10 BFAR vessels—BRP Datu Tamblot, Datu Taradapit, Datu Rumapinit, Datu Sungkad, Datu Balensusa, Datu Bankaya, Datu Daya, Datu Dumangsil, Datu Gumbay Piang, and Datu Manojo—and the civilian vessel MB Mamalakaya under the Kadiwa program.

Chinese forces in the area included the nine CCG ships, five PLAN vessels (525, 526, 552, 571, and 517), and at least four maritime militia boats.

Tarriela vowed that government patrols and resupply missions would continue despite Chinese threats and the declaration of a so-called national nature reserve by Beijing in the area. 

“We will not stop patrolling Bajo de Masinloc. Our operations will go on to ensure the safety and livelihood of Filipino fishermen,” he said.