Daily Tribune
Photo courtesy of PCG
A China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel on Saturday afternoon "deliberately rammed thrice" the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) anchored at Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for WPS, lamented the CCG’s dangerous actions that caused damage to the Philippine ship.
“It is important for us to take note that this ramming happened despite our unprovoked action and presence in Escoda Shoal. The Philippine Coast Guard vessel did not provoke or do anything while we were loitering around Escoda Shoal,” Tarriela said in a press conference.
On Saturday, the PCG reported the swarming of Chinese vessels around Escoda Shoal, including two People’s Liberation Army Navy tugboats, 175 and 185, as well as two CCG vessels with bow numbers 4301 and 3104.
They also reported a large number of Chinese Maritime Militia vessels loitering in various areas proximate to the BRP Teresa Magbanua.
“And since the Chinese maritime forces noticed the movement of the Philippine Coast Guard vessel, that's the time that more China Coast Guard vessels arrived and more Chinese maritime militia vessels also supported all of these maritime forces to surround our vessel,” Tarriela said.
Tarriela said the CCGV 5205 blew its horn at the BRP Teresa Magbanua around 8 AM on 31 August. He noted that the vessel was not originally deployed in the area.
““Upon learning that we are giving in our anchor, they blow their horn. There is a blaring, blowing horn—that happened when we give in our anchor,” he explained.
“And then, all of a sudden, there was another China Coast Guard vessel that was also approaching and getting near MRV 9701—that is CCG vessel 5205.”
Around noon on Saturday, CCGV 5205 began carrying out dangerous maneuvers, resulting in its direct ramming of the port bow of the BRP Teresa Magbanua.
At 12:07 PM, the CCGV 5202 turned around and rammed the starboard side of the BRP Teresa Magbanua for the second and third times.
“Obviously, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel 5202 has ignored collision regulation because of such action,” Tarriela noted.
He said the PCG vessel sustained damage to its bridge wing and freeboard from the collision.
“There is this hole that also was a result of a direct ramming,” he added.
According to an initial report, no PCG personnel were injured during the ramming incident.
He added that the PCG was already evaluating the seaworthiness of the BRP Teresa Magbanua.
Meanwhile, National Maritime Council spokesperson Alexander Lopez said the Philippine government is “taking seriously” China’s series of aggressive actions in the WPS.
“Well, this is part of the reports that we'll be submitting to the Department of Foreign Affairs, and then the DFA will come up with its own studies and then come up with the most appropriate actions on their part,” Lopez noted.
On 8 August, two China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft dropped flares against the Philippine Air Force NC-212i from approximately 3.5 nautical miles at the national airspace away from Bajo de Masinloc.
On 19 August, at Escoda Shoal, CCG vessels “deliberately rammed” Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels while en route to Patag Island and Lawak Island in the WPS.
On 25 August, a CCG ship also rammed and fired a water cannon at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ BRP Datu Sanday vessel near Escoda Shoal.
Tarriela noted that China’s aggression has increased since the PCG’s deployment of its BRP Teresa Magbanua on 15 April in the area.
“Well, it's important for us to understand that the Escoda Shoal has been an issue for the Chinese government. This has always been a reason for China to always make it an issue. They even filed a diplomatic protest for BRP Teresa Magbanua to be withdrawn from Escoda shoal,” he said.
However, Tarriela reiterated that the country’s primary objective is “only purely for us to carry out a legal and legitimate Coast Guard operation within our own exclusive economic zone.”
Lopez also emphasized that Escoda Shoal lies 75 nautical miles from the coast of mainland Palawan and is considered within the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone.
“We exercise sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over the area so the Chinese Coast Guard vessels are the ones illegally, their presence is illegal. We are there on a legal basis. It's ours,” he added.
Lopez stressed that the Philippines “will not ask permission” to operate in its EEZ.
“The position of our government, especially the National Maritime Council, we take this with serious concern,” he noted.
