THE National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) reported Sunday that a vessel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) “encountered aggressive and dangerous maneuvers” from at least eight Chinese maritime forces while on its way from Hasa-Hasa (Half Moon) Shoal to Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
Hasa-Hasa Shoal is located 60 nautical miles from Palawan, while Escoda Shoal is about 110 nautical miles away. Both shoals are well within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The task force said the actions of the Chinese vessels were aimed at preventing the BRP Datu Sanday from bringing fuel, food and medicines to Filipino fishermen at Escoda.
ANOTHER INCIDENT Photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard shows the China Coast Guard vessel firing a water cannon.
It said the Datu Sanday was encircled by a People’s Liberation Army Navy vessel and several China Coast Guard ships.
The Chinese vessels made “close perilous maneuvers that resulted in ramming, blasted horns, and deployed water cannons against the BFAR vessel, eventually leading to the latter’s engine failure and forcing an early termination of the humanitarian operation.”
The task force said the “unprofessional, aggressive and illegal actions posed serious risks to the safety of the Filipino crew and the fishermen they were meant to serve.”
It also denied reports by the Chinese coast guard that it rescued Filipino “personnel” who fell overboard during the incident.
It said the misinformation “serves as a clear illustration” of China’s “willingness to distort the truth and engage in disinformation to bolster its public image.”
The Philippines and China have had repeated confrontations in the West Philippine Sea in recent months, and on Saturday, Manila accused China of recently twice firing flares at one of its patrol aircraft.
China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu said Sunday’s collision occurred when a Philippines vessel refused to comply with “control measures” near Xianbin Reef in the Nansha Islands — using the Chinese names for the Sabina Shoal and the Spratly Islands.
It then “deliberately collided” with a Chinese Coast Guard ship, CCTV quoted Gan as saying, adding China had “promptly rescued the Philippine personnel who fell into the water.”
It was unclear if “personnel” meant one or more people, and no further details were given.
“China warns the Philippines to immediately cease its infringing actions; otherwise, the Philippines will bear all consequences resulting from this situation,” Gan said.
China claims almost the entire sea and has ignored an international tribunal ruling that its assertions have no legal basis.
It deploys boats to patrol the busy waterway and has built artificial islands that it has militarized to reinforce its claims.
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