CHINESE vessels harassed a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (BFAR) ship, resulting in a ramming incident that caused the latter’s engine failure.
National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea spokesperson, Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, said that BRP Datu Sanday encountered aggressive and dangerous maneuvers from eight Chinese maritime vessels on Sunday, August 25, 2024, while on its way to Escoda Shoal from Hasa Hasa Shoal.
The vessel was bound for Escoda Shoal for a humanitarian mission, particularly to provide fuel, food and medical supplies to Filipino fishermen in the area.
The Chinese vessels tried to block the humanitarian operation by encircling the Philippine ship and made perilous maneuvers, resulting in ramming, blasting horns and the use of water cannon that caused the BFAR ship’s engine failure, forcing the early termination of the humanitarian mission.
“These unprofessional, aggressive, and illegal actions posed serious risks to the safety of the Filipino crew and the fishermen they were meant to serve. Despite these provocative maneuvers, the crew aboard the BFAR vessel maintains high morale and remains safe and unharmed,” said Malaya.
“Claims suggesting that our personnel fell overboard and were subsequently rescued by the Chinese Coast Guard are completely unfounded. This fake news and misinformation serves as a clear illustration of the PRC’s willingness to distort the truth and engage in disinformation to bolster its public image,” he added.
Malaya maintained that the Hasa Hasa and Escoda Shoal, which are approximately 60 and 110 nautical miles away from Rizal, Palawan, respectively, are both within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
The Philippine government called anew on China to halt the “provocative operations” that destabilize regional peace and security, as it maintained steadfast in asserting its rights in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
The embassies of the United States and the European Union in Manila expressed support to the Philippines amid the latest harassment by China.
“Unsafe, unlawful, and aggressive conduct by the PRC disrupted a legal [Philippine] mission, endangering lives — the latest in multiple dangerous actions by the PRC. We are steadfast in supporting our (Philippine friends, partners, allies),” US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said in her post on X (formerly Twitter).
EU Ambassador Luc Véron also expressed alarm over China’s action, noting that it “trusts that respect for international law including UNCLOS is essential in the South China Sea as anywhere else.” (TPM/SunStar Philippines)