China vessel fires water cannon at BFAR ship in Bajo de Masinloc — PH Navy

A Chinese vessel fired a water cannon at a ship of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Philippine Navy said on Tuesday.

"Yes, we were informed of a water cannon incident in Bajo de Masinloc by the Chinese Coast Guard vessel towards a BFAR vessel," Philippine Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a press briefing.

According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office, information about the incident was received on Tuesday morning.

"Because of that, we would like to politely defer to the BFAR for their official statement on the issue," Trinidad added.

GMA News Online has sought comment from BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera about the incident but he has yet to provide a statement as of posting time.

According to a report on Balitanghali, sources said the BFAR ship was deployed to distribute supplies to Filipino fishermen in the area.

GMA News Online has requested comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila regarding the matter.

Bajo de Masinloc, also called Panatag Shoal and Scarborough Shoal, is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and is within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has not recognized the decision. — VDV, GMA Integrated News