A China Coast Guard (CCG) ship fired water cannon and made dangerous maneuvers against an indigenous boat and a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel bringing food and supplies to military troops stationed on BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Saturday, August 5.

(Courtesy of PCG)

The PCG and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) condemned in the strongest terms the actions committed by CCG vessel with bow number “4203”.

“The PCG calls on the China Coast Guard to restrain its forces, respect the sovereign rights of the Philippines in its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, refrain from hampering freedom of navigation, and take appropriate actions against the individuals involved in this unlawful incident,” Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said on Sunday, August 6.

The AFP chartered two indigenous boats en route to Ayungin Shoal for a rotation and reprovision (RORE) mission where a new batch of military troops will be deployed onboard the dilapidated BRP Sierra Madre, which serves as their military outpost, and bring food, water, fuel, and other supplies.

The boats were escorted by a PCG vessel but CCG 4203 intercepted them by sailing dangerously close and fired water cannon to interrupt the mission.

Tarriela stressed that the CCG vessel “not only disregarded the safety of the PCG crew and the supply boats but also violated international law.” 

Among these, he noted, include the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the 1972 Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), and the 2016 Arbitral Award which invalidated China’s massive claims in the South China Sea.

“We ask that China Coast Guard, as an organization with a responsibility to observe state obligations under UNCLOS, COLREGs, and other relevant instruments of international maritime safety and security, to cease all illegal activities within the maritime zones of the Philippines,” Tarriela said.

(Courtesy of PCG)

Meanwhile, Col. Medel Aguilar, AFP spokesperson, described CCG’s actions as “excessive” and “unlawful”.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines strongly condemns and expresses grave concern over the China Coast Guard’s excessive and unlawful actions against Philippine vessels near Ayungin Shoal,” Aguilar said.

The mission was not completed as the second supply boat failed to reach Ayungin Shoal and unload the supplies.

“We call on the China Coast Guard and the Central Military Commission to act with prudence and be responsible in their actions to prevent miscalculations and accidents that will endanger peoples' lives,” Aguilar said.

This was the latest incident in a string of aggressive actions by CCG against Philippine vessels operating near Ayungin Shoal.

On June 30, 11 Chinese vessels including the CCG 4203 also performed dangerous maneuvers to stop two PCG ships from entering Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal for a RORE mission.

Military exercise in peril?

Due to the incident, several netizens couldn’t help but expressed frustration towards China, which previously proposed a joint military exercise with the AFP in the WPS.

“I hope this incident will put finish to any consideration or ‘study’ of any kind of a joint military exercise between China and the Philippines. AFP COS [Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr.] is patriotic enough to realize that,” said one netizen on Twitter.

For another netizen, this incident should serve as a wake-up call for the Philippine government or there will be more grave repercussions in the future: “Until WHEN we'll let these people do these ACTS on us? If we'll let them just treat us like this, what's next?”

The AFP has yet to comment whether or not the incident will affect China’s proposal to hold joint military drills with the military.