PH says latest WPS collisions due to China's 'dangerous, illegal maneuvers'

The Philippines on Monday accused the Chinese Coast Guard of performing "unlawful and aggressive maneuvers" in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), resulting in collisions that damaged two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels.

"This morning, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410) and BRP Cape Engaño (MRRV-4411) encountered unlawful and aggressive maneuvers from Chinese Coast Guard vessels while en route to Patag and Lawak Islands in the West Philippine Sea," said the National Task Force for the West Philippines Sea (NTF-WPS) in a statement.

"These dangerous maneuvers resulted in collisions, causing structural damage to both PCG vessels."

CCG spokesperson Gan Yu earlier claimed on social media platform Weibo that Philippine vessels BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engaño "deliberately" collided with a CCG vessel near Escoda Shoal.

"At 03:24, the Philippine ship No. 4410 (BRP Bagacay) ignored China's repeated solemn warnings and deliberately collided with China's 21551 boat, which was normally safeguarding its rights and enforcing the law in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a collision," Gan said.

According to NTF-WPS, BRP Cape Engaño and BRP Bagacay were about to deliver essential supplies to personnel stationed in Patag and Lawak Islands when the incident happened.

It said BRP Cape Engaño was navigating 23.01 nautical miles southeast of Escoda Shoal at 3:24 a.m. when CCG vessel 3104 performed “aggressive maneuvers.”

“This resulted in a collision with the starboard beam of the vessel, creating a hole on the deck with an approximate diameter of five inches,” the NTF-WPS said in its statement read by task force spokesperson Jonathan Malaya during a forum on the WPS issue in Manila on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, at 3:40 a.m., BRP Bagacay, at that time located 21.3 nautical miles southeast of Escoda Shoal, was “rammed twice” on her port and starboard sides by CCG vessel 21551, the task force said. The impact led to minor structural damage on BRP Bagacay.

“Despite these incidents, both PCG vessels remain committed to and shall proceed with their mission of delivering essential supplies to personnel stationed on Patag and Lawak Islands,” the NTF-WPS said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry recently lodged a formal protest over the presence of Philippine ship BRP Teresa Magbanua in Escoda Shoal.

Escoda Shoal, also called Sabina Shoal, is located 75 nautical miles or about 140 kilometers off Palawan and is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). 

BRP Teresa Magbanua has been stationed in Escoda Shoal since April amid reports of China’s reclamation activities in the area. 

“The PCG stands firm in its responsibility to ensure the safety and security of our maritime domain while addressing any threats to our national interests,” the NTF-WPS said.

The NTF-WPS urged “restraint and adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other relevant international laws to prevent further escalations and ensure the safety of all vessels operating in the region.”

Despite talks for de-escalation, tensions in WPS continue amid China’s massive claim in the South China Sea (SCS).

The SCS is a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Aside from the Philippines, China has overlapping claims in the area with Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's massive claims in the SCS, saying it has "no legal basis."

China, however, does not recognize the decision.  —KBK, GMA Integrated News