China Coast Guard seen firing water cannon at PH resupply ship in Nov. 10 video

A Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) video showed how a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel deployed a water cannon against a Philippine resupply ship on Friday, Nov. 10, in the West Philippine Sea.

CCG vessel 5203 could be seen in the video training its water cannon on M/L Kalayaan as the latter made its way toward Ayungin Shoal on the West Philippine Sea, according to a tweet by GMA Integrated News' Joseph Morong.

M/L Kalayaan was one of two supply boats — the other one being Unaizah Mae 1 — on a mission then to deliver supplies to Filipino troops stationed at the Philippine Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre which has been grounded since 1999 on Ayungin Shoal. The boats were accompanied by PCG vessels such as the BRP Melchora Aquino.

"CCG vessel 5203 deployed water cannon against Philippine supply vessel M/L Kalayaan in an illegal though unsuccessful attempt to force the latter to alter course," the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said in a statement last Friday.

“Supply boats Unaizah Mae 1 (UM1) and M/L Kalayaan were also subjected to extremely reckless and dangerous harassment at close proximity by CCG rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB) inside Ayungin Shoal lagoon during their approach to BRP Sierra Madre,” it added.

"We condemn, once again, China's latest unprovoked acts of coercion and dangerous maneuvers against a legitimate and routine Philippine rotation and resupply mission," it said.

The CCG, meanwhile, urged the Philippines to stop infringing on the country's sovereignty after several Philippine resupply vessels entered into waters near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.

The Philippines also calls Second Thomas Shoal as Ayungin Shoal.

On Friday, the Philippine government said it filed a diplomatic protest against China after the water cannon incident.

The PCG said on Saturday it had documented 38 Chinese vessels within the vicinity of the Ayungin Shoal during its latest resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre.

"The total number of Chinese vessels that we detected during the supply operation was 16 maritime militia vessels that were physically monitored, 12 Chinese militia vessels, five China Coast Guard vessels, and five People's Liberation Army [vessels]," PCG spokesperson on the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a media briefing.

"In total, we can say that there are a total of 38 Chinese vessels that are present within the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal during this particular resupply operation," he added.

Tarriela said that not all 38 Chinese vessels were involved in the blocking operations against the PCG vessels.

"Based on the presentation that we gave, there were only six CMMVs (Chinese Maritime Militia Vessels) that actively participated in the blocking operations, and there were five CCG vessels," he said.

"Together with the NTF WPS, the PCG condemns, once again, CCG’s unprovoked acts of coercion and dangerous maneuvers against a legitimate and routine Philippine rotation and resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal, that has put the lives of our personnel at risk," PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said in a statement.

"The systematic and consistent manner in which the CCG vessels do not align with the universally accepted behavior of a coast guard. Ironically, they are supposed to ensure safety of life at sea, but they are the one that deliberately violate the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 that the People’s Republic of China is also a signatory state," he added.

"The dangerous maneuvering of the CCG vessels are illegal and irresponsible actions that puts into question and significant doubt their narrative of law enforcement and their real identity as a coast guard organization," Gavan said.

"The PCG, on the other hand, has acted responsibly, consistent with a rules based international law, that aligns with the regional norm among the coast guard organizations in the region. Our PCG skippers made sure that despite the reckless deployment of the CCG, we can still be able to prevent from collision happening. And despite their provocative actions of deliberately preventing our vessels from completing the mission, the PCG has maintained their professional behavior and ensure that our firm resolve will not be triggered to escalate the tension," he said.

STATEMENT OF THE COMMANDANT, PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD, ADMIRAL RONNIE GIL GAVAN

Together with the NTF WPS, the PCG condemns, once again, CCG’s unprovoked acts of coercion and dangerous maneuvers against a legitimate and routine Philippine rotation and resupply mission to Ayungin… pic.twitter.com/Og3cCJ74Nl

— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) November 11, 2023

In 2021, China has called on the Philippines to remove the BRP Sierra Madre, saying it was illegally grounded in Chinese territory.

Ayungin Shoal, however, is inside the Philippines’ 200-km exclusive economic zone based on the 2016 Arbitral Award and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

China has consistently tried to block and harass resupply ships going to Ayungin Shoal.

It has also said a past Philippine government leader had previously promised to remove the grounded vessel, a claim denied by previous Philippine presidents.

Philippine officials rejected China's claim, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. saying that any such deal, if there was any, is considered rescinded.

The Philippine government said the resupply mission is an exercise of its jurisdiction as it rejects China’s illegal blockade and harassment. —KG, GMA Integrated News