PCG denies Chinese claim of deliberate ramming in BdM

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday firmly denied Beijing's claim that a vessel from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) deliberately rammed into a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship in the contested waters of Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal.

On 16 Sept., Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian accused the Philippines of deliberate provocation following a maritime collision near the disputed Huangyan Dao, a Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal. 

Lin Jian also reiterated Beijing’s position that Huangyan Dao is "indisputably" Chinese territory.

“Philippine official vessels’ intrusion into the waters of the island seriously violated China’s sovereignty, rights and interests and jeopardized peace and stability at sea,” Lin Jian said.

In a press briefing, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela refuted accusations from the Chinese side, clarifying that there was no intentional collision involving the BFAR vessel BRP Datu Gumbay Piang.

“There's no collision that really happened. It was a BFAR vessel on stationary, subjected to a water cannon by two CCG vessels. And the CCG vessel did a sharp turn, enough to at least touch the bow of the BFAR vessel,” Tarriela told reporters. 

“So, there was no collision. It was their own, like parang ‘bump me’ something,” he added, implying that the contact was orchestrated or exaggerated by the Chinese side.

The incident took place on Tuesday during a BFAR resupply mission within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. According to the PCG, two China Coast Guard vessels harassed BRP Datu Gumbay Piang with powerful water cannons, damaging the Filipino vessel and injuring one crew member.

Tarriela condemned the aggression and confirmed that both the PCG and BFAR will submit an after-action report to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS).

“As far as the PCG and BFAR are concerned, we're going to submit to the NTF WPS an after-operation report of what had happened,” he said.

“It’s for the cognizant government agencies to take action — whether through diplomatic, legal, or even asking them to settle for the damage,” Tarriela added.

The latest maritime incident marks another flashpoint in the ongoing tensions between Manila and Beijing over the West Philippine Sea. 

Scarborough Shoal serves as a traditional fishing ground for Filipino fishers and has seen a surge in confrontations as China continues to assert its sweeping territorial claims, which have been ruled invalid under international law.