Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 11) — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday said China deployed the largest number of ships to obstruct Manila’s latest resupply mission to troops on Ayungin Shoal.
“I think this is the largest number of the Chinese maritime forces that the People’s Republic of China deployed to counter our resupply operation,” PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
Sunday’s resupply mission did not end without China showing its aggressive actions. The China Coast Guard simultaneously fired two water cannons each on Philippine vessels M/L Kalayaan and BRP Cabra, and another one on Unaizah Mae 1 (UM1).
The PCG said in a Palace briefing that it recorded 46 Chinese vessels that tried to block the mission. This includes 14 China maritime militia ships physically monitored, 22 other maritime militia vessels detected through automatic identification system, eight China Coast Guard ships, and two People’s Liberation Army-Navy boats.
Tarriela said water cannons were fired on the Philippine vessels five times. M/L Kalayaan had to be towed back due to the damage it sustained, he noted.
The CCG has accused the Philippines of transporting construction materials to BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal. It also claimed that the resupply boat UM1 disregarded warnings and intentionally rammed a CCG ship.
“My concern is that do they care whether these are food, whether these are construction materials, whether these are personal items of our soldiers, they don’t really care about anything that we’re going to bring on board BRP Sierra Madre,” Tarriela said, emphasizing that Ayungin Shoal is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
He also cited the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea. The tribunal largely ruled in favor of the Philippines in areas of its EEZ and continental shelf that are being claimed by China.
On the claim regarding UM1, Tarriela said it is a matter of perspective. He also said the PCG already released a video showing that it was China’ s vessel that was deviating from its route. The question still remains on why China’s ships are within Manila’s EEZ, he added.
