THE NATIONAL Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) announced that two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels were damaged after being subjected to "unlawful and aggressive maneuvers" by China Coast Guard (CCG) ships while en route to Patag and Lawak Islands early Monday.
In a statement, NTF-WPS spokesperson Jonathan Malaya identified the damaged PCG ships as the BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410) and BRP Cape Engaño (MRRV-4411).
These PCG ships were tasked to resupply personnel deployed in Patag and Lawak Islands, he added.
"These dangerous maneuvers resulted in collisions, causing structural damage to both PCG vessels," he added.
Malaya, who is also National Security Council assistant director general, said the first incident took place at 3:24 a.m. as the BRP Cape Engaño was navigating about 23.01 nautical miles southeast of Escoda Shoal.
At this point, the Filipino ship was subjected to aggressive maneuvers by CCGV-3104, resulting in a collision with the starboard beam of the vessel, creating a hole in the deck with an approximate diameter of five inches.
The second incident took place at 3:40 a.m. and involved the BRP Bagacay, which was then approximately 21.3 nautical miles southeast of Escoda Shoal.
This incident was more serious as the PCG vessel was rammed twice on both her port and starboard sides by CCGV 21551, leading to minor structural damage.
"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 PCG stands firm in its responsibility to ensure the safety and security of our maritime domain while addressing any threats to our national interests," Malaya said.
Meanwhile, Malaya said the task force is calling for 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.
The incident followed the Aug. 8 flare-dropping of Chinese jet fighters near the flight path of a Philippine Air Force NC-212i aircraft conducting a routine maritime patrol over Bajo de Masinloc.
Disappointing
Malaya, meanwhile, said the NTF-WPS was disappointed with the latest incident which came just weeks after Manila and Beijing reached an initial understanding on easing tensions over the Ayungin Shoal.
"We are of course disappointed again with this development coming from the preliminary understanding, because we have a preliminary understanding with them in so far as Second Thomas Shoal is concerned, or BRP Sierra Madre is concerned but despite this preliminary understanding which we hope was the first page in a new chapter between (the) Philippines and PRC (People's Republic of China) relations," he added in an online forum.
Malaya also scored the CCG's announcement that the Philippines was the "provocative party" in the incident.
"Allegedly they were conducting a law enforcement operation, controlling the movement of the two ships when in fact it was not (MMRV) 4410 or BRP Bacagay who rammed (CCGV) 21551 it was the other way around, our vessel, BRP Bagacay (was rammed) two times and the physical evidence proves this," he added.
Malaya also said China would also be surprised to know that the PCG ships had members of the international media who would broadcast what really transpired regarding the incident.
"So the truth will finally come out and we again condemn this deliberate attempt by the PRC to change the narrative and create their own scenarios and reality of what happened this morning," he added.
Malaya added that China is attempting to connect the incident to the BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701)'s continued presence at Sabina Shoal (also known as Escoda Shoal), which it has already protested.
"And in the way they are framing this narrative is that the resupply ships were intended, the PCG vessels were intended to resupply the BRP Teresa Magbanua. In fact I've been hearing and been reading some opinion columnists from the PRC stating that China should no longer tolerate the presence of (the) BRP Teresa Magbanua and so on and so forth," he added.
However, he said the incident took place many "nautical miles away" and that the real purpose of the PCG ships was to resupply troops in Lawak Island.
Malaya also maintained that the presence of BRP Teresa Magbanua in the Escoda Shoal is critical as it is monitoring possible illegal reclamation and poaching activities.
"That's why the BRP Teresa Magbanua is there, protecting our rights, conducting law enforcement operations, flying the flag and I think that has been very clear by the Philippine government that what we're doing is routinary, legitimate because it's well within our exclusive economic zone and as I said its 70 nautical miles off Palawan," he added. (Priam Nepomuceno)
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