Chinese ships sideswipe Phl vessels at Sandy Cay

Chinese ships sideswipe Phl vessels at Sandy Cay | Daily Tribune

The Philippine government on Thursday slammed the China Coast Guard (CCG) for moving aggressively against two Philippine civilian vessels conducting a routine marine scientific research mission near Pag-asa Cay 2 (Sandy Cay) in the West Philippine Sea.

On Wednesday, 21 May, the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels — BRP Datu Sanday and BRP Datu Pagbuaya — were conducting a routine mission with a Filipino scientific team to collect sand samples for a marine scientific research project.

At around 9 a.m., CCG vessel 21559 water-cannoned and sideswiped the Datu Sanday twice, causing damage to its port bow and smokestack and endangering the lives of the civilian personnel on board.

The authorities said the latest incident marked the first time water cannons were used against BFAR research vessels in the vicinity of the Pag-asa Cays.

“Despite the aggressive interference, dangerous maneuvers, and illegal acts by the CCG and Chinese maritime militia vessels, the Philippine scientific team was able to complete its operations in Pag-Asa Cays 1, 2, and 3,” the BFAR said in a statement.

The bureau pointed out the latest confrontation occurred in the country’s territorial waters, in the vicinity of Pag-asa Island and Pag-asa Cay 2—both of which, along with the other cays, are part of the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea.

The small coral reef is located about 1.5 nautical miles northwest of Thitu Island (locally known as Pag-asa Island) and roughly 9.3 nautical miles northeast of Subi Reef (Zamora Reef), within the Spratly Islands archipelago.

“The BFAR remains committed to scientific integrity, sustainable fisheries management, and the protection of the national interest in the West Philippine Sea, in accordance with international and domestic law,” it said.

The incident was the latest in a string of intense maritime confrontations between China and the Philippines in the disputed region over the past years.

Neighboring Vietnam and Taiwan also assert their claims over Sandy Cay.