Chinese Coast Guard vessels used water cannons and dangerous maneuvers against Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels delivering assistance to Filipino fishermen near Bajo de Masinloc on Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

The PCG said the operation was part of the government's Kadiwa ng Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda program, which provides fuel subsidies and food packs to Filipino fishermen while maintaining the country's presence in the West Philippine Sea. The confrontation lasted about three hours, during which multiple Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels allegedly harassed Philippine ships.

According to the PCG, CCG vessel 3107 fired its water cannon at BRP Cape San Agustin at about 6:26 a.m. while the Philippine vessel was patrolling roughly 15 nautical miles northeast of Bajo de Masinloc. About an hour later, CCG vessel 21581 targeted BRP Datu Paduhinog, closing in to within seven meters of its port bow before hitting it with water cannon blasts. The Chinese vessel had also switched off its Automatic Identification System, the PCG said.

The PCG also reported that BRP Datu Paduhinog temporarily lost satellite internet connectivity during the incident, while another Chinese maritime militia vessel towed a rope about 100 meters behind BRP Datu Sumakwel, creating a navigational hazard. At 8:55 a.m., CCG vessel 3303 fired its water cannon at BRP Datu Cabaylo.

Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said all Philippine personnel remained safe and completed the mission despite the harassment. The PCG said it monitored 12 Chinese Coast Guard vessels and three Chinese maritime militia vessels, compared with three PCG vessels and seven BFAR vessels participating in the operation.

The PCG reiterated that Bajo de Masinloc is part of Philippine territory and that the 2016 Arbitral Award affirmed it as a traditional fishing ground for Filipino fishermen. It said the agency remains committed to protecting Filipino fishermen and safeguarding the country's sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.