The National Security Council (NSC) said it will remain vigilant in safeguarding the country’s national interests in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as Chinese vessels harassed Filipino ships anew in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) on Wednesday morning.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) were conducting a joint routine maritime patrol in Bajo de Masinloc when they encountered China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels around 6:30 a.m. on 4 December.

PCG spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said the CCG ships with bow numbers 5303, 3302, and 3104 intentionally attacked the BFAR’s BRP Datu Pagbuaya (MMOV 3003)—the third ship of the Datu Cabaylo-class of 30-meter multi-mission offshore civilian patrol vessels.

“During this operation, our vessels encountered aggressive actions from several Chinese Coast Guard vessels, specifically CCG 5303, 3302, 3104, as well as People's Liberation Army Navy vessels with bow numbers 500 and 571,” Tarriela said.

Tarriela described the CCG’s maneuvering as a “hostile action.”

At around 6:30 a.m., the CCG vessel 3302 fired a water cannon at the BRP Datu Pagbuaya (MMOV 3003), aiming directly at the vessel's navigational antennas while it was located 16 nautical miles south of Bajo de Masinloc.

He said the CCG 3302 intentionally sideswiped the BRP Datu Pagbuaya’s starboard side.

At 6:55 a.m., the CCG 3302 launched a second water cannon attack on the same BFAR vessel shortly thereafter.

Meanwhile, China’s gray ships, People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) 500 and CCG 503, simultaneously blocked and shadowed the PCG's BRP Teresa Magbanua.

The Chinese ships also maneuvered dangerously against the PCG vessel.

At a distance of 300 yards, the CCG 3104 “recklessly” maneuvered against the PCG’s BRP Cabra.

“The PCG and BFAR reaffirm their commitment to protecting the rights and safety of our fishermen within our maritime jurisdiction,” the NSC said.

Tarriela lamented anew China’s illegal claims of Bajo de Masinloc, saying it has no jurisdiction over the “classified as a rock” under the 2016 Arbitral Award and Article 121 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS).

“The Philippines has sovereignty over it, including its territorial sea,” he said.

Tarriela reiterated that the waters beyond Bajo de Masinloc's 12-nautical-mile territorial sea fall within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ), measured from Luzon's baseline.

“Consequently, the PCG and BFAR vessels are legitimately patrolling our waters, while it is China that is encroaching upon them and militarizing the area by deploying PLA Navy vessels to shadow PCG operations,” Tarriela stressed.

“The dangerous maneuvers and water cannon harassment by the CCG are not standard law enforcement actions; rather, they should be interpreted as unlawful aggression by international law violators,” he added.