Chinese ships ram, fire water cannon at BFAR vessel en route to Escoda Shoal
Metro Manila, Philippines — Multiple ships of the China Coast Guard (CCG) and one from the Chinese navy made “illegal” actions against a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel, including ramming and deploying a water cannon, near Escoda Shoal on Sunday, Aug. 25.
In a statement, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said BRP Datu Sanday encountered “aggressive and dangerous maneuvers” from eight Chinese maritime forces while operating from Hasa-Hasa Shoal to Escoda Shoal.
“The actions of the Chinese vessels were aimed at obstructing the BFAR vessel's humanitarian mission to resupply Filipino fishermen with diesel, food and medical supplies,” the NTF-WPS said.
The task force said “Datu Sanday” had an engine failure and was forced to end early its humanitarian operation after CCG vessels made “close, perilous maneuvers” that resulted in ramming, blasted horns, and deployed water cannons against the BFAR ship.
“These unprofessional, aggressive and illegal actions posed serious risks to the safety of the Filipino crew and the fishermen they were meant to serve,” the NTF-WPS said, adding the crew onboard were safe and unharmed.
“Claims suggesting that our personnel fell overboard and were subsequently rescued by the Chinese Coast Guard are completely unfounded,” it also said. “This misinformation serves as a clear illustration of the PRC’s willingness to distort the truth and engage in disinformation to bolster its public image.”
Hasa-Hasa Shoal, or Half-Moon Shoal, is located around 60 nautical miles from Rizal, Palawan, while Escoda Shoal, or Sabina Shoal, is about 110 nautical miles away, both well within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The two atolls are within the Spratly Islands, a maritime area where the Philippines, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam have claims.
But CCG spokesperson Gan Yu claimed BRP Datu Sanday “illegally entered the waters near Xianbin Reef (Escoda Shoal) in China's Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands) without the permission of the Chinese government, and the Chinese coast guard took control measures against the Philippine vessel in accordance with the law.”
Yu said the BFAR ship “ignored China's solemn warning and deliberately rammed China's normal law enforcement Haijing 21551 boat in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a collision, and the responsibility lies entirely with the Philippine side.”
Tensions are high in the disputed West Philippine Sea as China rejects the 2016 Arbitral Award that invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea.
The Philippines and China signed a provisional agreement for the conduct of rotational and resupply missions in Ayungin Shoal to de-escalate tensions, but various incidents are being reported in other maritime areas, including Escoda Shoal.
Philippine Coast Guard vessels were rammed and damaged by CCG vessels in Escoda Shoal on Aug. 19.
On Saturday, the NTF-WPS also reported that a BFAR aircraft was conducting a maritime domain awareness flight over Zamora Reef last week, when China “launched flares from their militarized reclaimed island” in the reef.
