Chinese also water-cannon supply ship, hurting 4 Pinoys on board
China Coast Guard vessels caused two collisions with Philippine boats and water cannoned one of them, leaving four Filipino crew injured during a resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea, the National Security Council said.
The incidents happened in waters around Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in the Spratly Islands.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said it told Chinese embassy deputy chief of mission Zhou Zhiyong that the “aggressive actions” of the China Coast Guard and other vessels were “unacceptable”.
It ordered the Chinese vessels to leave the vicinity of the reef “immediately”, the department said in a statement.
“China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels harassed, blocked, deployed water cannons, and executed dangerous maneuvers in another attempt to illegally impede or obstruct a routine resupply and rotation mission,” the NSC said in a statement.
“The systematic and consistent manner in which the People’s Republic of China carries out these illegal and irresponsible actions puts into question the sincerity of its calls for peaceful dialogue and lessening of tensions.”
The China Coast Guard, however, said it “took control measures” against Philippine ships’ “illegal intrusion” in waters around the shoal.
Malacanang has yet to react to the incident as of press time, but foreign governments were quick to condemn China’s actions.
President Marcos is currently in Melbourne for the four-day ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.
US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson condemned China’s “dangerous maneuvers” in a post on social media platform X, saying they “endangered lives, resulted in injuries, and damaged (Philippine Coast Guard) vessels.”
Luc Veron, the EU envoy to Manila, said on X he was “troubled” by China’s efforts to target “Philippine vessels engaged in crucial resupply missions.”
In a statement, the Japanese Embassy in Manila said: “Japan reiterates its grave concern on the repeated dangerous actions in the SCS… Japan will continue to stand with the Philippines and cooperate with like-minded countries to maintain the peace and stability in the region.”
The BRP Sindangan, along with a sister ship, had been deployed to support the military chartered Unaizah May 4 and Unaizah May 1 boats carrying replacement soldiers and supplies to Ayungin Shoal where Filipino troops are stationed on a grounded Philippine navy vessel, the BRP Sierra Madre.
Four crew on board the Unaizah May 4 were injured when two China Coast Guard ships simultaneously fired water cannons at it, shattering the windshield, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said in a statement.
It said a China Coast Guard vessel also caused a “minor collision” with the Unaizah May 4, which turned back to shore without delivering its cargo.
The Unaizah May 1 was able to unload its provisions, which the troops on the BRP Sierra Madre depend on for their survival.
Earlier in the morning, the task force added, a China Coast Guard vessel caused a separate “minor collision” with one of the Philippine Coast Guard ships that was escorting the supply boats.
But China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu accused the Philippine Coast Guard ship of “intentionally” ramming the Chinese boat, causing a “minor scrape.”
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Beijing had expressed “strong protests” over the run-in with the Filipino vessels which were “attempting to transport construction supplies and building materials” to the decrepit Sierra Madre.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, brushing aside competing claims from a host of Southeast Asian nations and an international ruling that has declared its stance baseless.
Senator JV Ejercito, for his part, said Beijing’s delusion that the West Philippine Sea belongs to them must be put to an end.
“We stand firm that resupply missions voyaging along Philippine territory are legal and must not be disrupted by intruders. We support the rules-based order in the South China Sea consistent with international laws,” added Senator Grace Poe.
The incident came a day after Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo called on China to “stop harassing us” as he defended Manila’s strategy of publicizing Chinese maneuvers in the South China Sea.
President Marcos was similarly forthright when he appeared Monday evening at an event hosted by an Australian think tank.
“We shall never surrender even a square inch of our territory and our maritime jurisdiction,” he said on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Melbourne.
Tuesday’s collisions and water cannoning came after similar incidents in December. Those confrontations were the most intense between Philippine and Chinese vessels in years. With AFP