PH maritime council condemns Chinese water cannon attack on BFAR vessel

Photos courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard / NTF-WPS

MANILA, Philippines — The National Maritime Council (NMC) on Wednesday condemned what it called “illegal and hostile actions” by Chinese vessels that fired water cannons at a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ship near Scarborough Shoal, injuring one crew member and damaging the vessel.

The NMC said the incident happened Tuesday morning while BRP Datu Gumbay Piang (MMOV 3014) was delivering fuel, food, and water to Filipino fisherfolk under the government’s Kadiwa para sa Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda program.

According to the council, two China Coast Guard ships, with hull numbers 5201 and 21562, along with a Chinese maritime militia vessel, conducted “dangerous maneuvers” and repeatedly blasted the Philippine vessel with high-pressure water cannons. The attack shattered windows, caused electrical damage, and injured a Filipino crew member.

Despite the damage, the crew successfully maneuvered the vessel to safety and completed its supply mission.

The NMC also noted that a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warship issued a radio broadcast announcing a live-fire exercise near Bajo de Masinloc, which alarmed Filipino fisherfolk operating in the area.

“These provocative and dangerous actions… placed lives and vessels at risk and clearly violate international law,” the council said, citing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral ruling that affirmed Filipino fishing rights in the area.

The Philippines called on China to halt what it described as “illegal, provocative, and dangerous activities” in the West Philippine Sea and to help create an environment conducive to diplomacy and dialogue.

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PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela, shared the same sentiment, emphasizing that the Chinese actions were illegal and had no basis under international law.

“The use of water cannons against a stationary BFAR vessel, along with threats of live-fire exercises, constitutes harassment and is unlawful under our exclusive economic zone rights,” Tarriela said in a press briefing in Manila on Wednesday.

He added that the broadcast was meant to intimidate Filipino fisherfolk.

At the same time, Department of National Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong urged lawmakers earlier Wednesday to restore portions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization budget that were reallocated this year.

He told reporters in Quezon City that improved domain awareness and patrol assets are crucial to project deterrence and protect fisherfolk operating up to the country’s exclusive economic zone. /jpv