The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) condemned the latest aggression by China’s maritime forces after they rammed and fired water cannons at another Filipino vessel in Escoda Shoal on Sunday.
A Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel was reportedly conducting a humanitarian mission for Filipino fishermen in the area when a mixture of Chinese Coast Guard, People’s Liberation Army-Navy, and Maritime Militia ships ganged up upon it.
“The Philippine government calls on the People’s Republic of China to halt these provocative actions that destabilize regional peace and security,” the NTF-WPS said in a statement.
“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 task force added.
It was reported that the BFAR vessel, BRP Datu Sanday, was on its way to Escoda Shoal from Hasa-Hasa Shoal when it was waylaid by eight Chinese ships.
“The CCG 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 NTF-WPS statement added.
It said that the mission was legitimate and intended to deliver supplies for Filipino fishermen such as food, diesel, and medical supplies.
“The BRP Datu Sanday was targeted by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ship 626 and multiple China Coast Guard (CCG) ships, which attempted to encircle and block the humanitarian mission,” the task force further reported.
Despite these provocative maneuvers, the crew aboard the BFAR vessel maintains high morale and remains safe and unharmed.
NTF-WPS also denied the claims of Chinese media and Coast Guard that they rescued a Filipino sailor who went overboard during the incident, the calling it a “distortion of the truth” by Chinese.
“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,” the statement read.
Hasa-Hasa (Half-Moon) Shoal is located approximately 60 nautical miles from Rizal, Palawan, while Escoda (Sabina) Shoal is about 110 nautical miles away, both well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The Philippines government insists that it will remain steadfast in asserting its rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
