The Philippine Navy said it is closely monitoring the confrontation between the China Coast Guard and the Philippine Coast Guard at the Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea early Monday.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the WPS, said the country’s naval fleet strongly condemned the “unlawful and dangerous maneuvers” of the CCG that resulted in collisions and structural damages to PCG’s vessels, BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engaño.

“We will continue to coordinate with the PCG to ensure the safety and security of our maritime domain as we strongly condemn the aggressive actions of the CCG, which not only endanger the lives of PCG,” Trinidad said in a statement.

Trinidad lamented CCG’s actions not only endangered the lives of the PCG personnel but also violated international maritime laws, particularly the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“The PN together with the PCG, remains committed to sustaining our presence in the West Philippine Sea in exercising our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction,” said Trinidad.

Meanwhile,  Senator Grace Poe said the CCG’s latest actions against the PCG undermine the freedom of sea routes guaranteed under international laws.

“We deplore this latest irresponsible maneuvers by China in our territory. The damage inflicted on the Philippine vessel endangers the safety of the crew,” said Poe.

Senator Francis Tolentino, on the other hand, slammed the CCG for causing structural damage to PCG vessels legitimately sailing within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone.

Tolentino, who chairs the who chairs the Senate’s Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones, said these incidents underscore the need to “critically assess China’s sincerity and good faith” in its recent engagement in the Bilateral Consultative Mechanism (BCM) with the Philippines.