China blames water cannon attack on ‘trespassing’ Filipino ships
China has blamed the Philippines for a water cannon attack on Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ships on Tuesday morning in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, saying the Filipino vessels infringed on its territory.
The government-owned media China Military Online, in a report on Wednesday, quoted China Coast Guard (CCG) spokesperson Liu Dejun as saying Philippine vessels with hull numbers 3001 and 3002 entered Huangyan Island (China’s name for Panatag) “without authorization” from the Chinese government.
Liu said this forced the CCG to take “professional, reasonable and legitimate control measures.”
The CCG reiterated China’s “indisputable sovereignty” over practically the entire South China Sea.
“We urge the Philippines to immediately cease its infringements,” Liu said.
BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera earlier said that a CCG vessel fired a water cannon on BRP Datu Cabaylo near Panatag, a traditional Filipino fishing ground about 220 kilometers west of Zambales province.
China has been in control of the shoal since 2012 after a two-month standoff with the Philippine Navy.
In a phone interview, Briguera said three CCG vessels and a Chinese warship “approached at a close distance and shadowed” the movements of Datu Cabaylo and BRP Datu Sanday.
Unscathed
The two ships were conducting a routine resupply mission to Filipino fishermen at Panatag.
“The CCG vessels also opened and directed their water cannons, but failed to reach” the Datu Cabaylo, the BFAR said.
The two BFAR ships successfully managed to resupply seven Filipino mother boats and 16 small fishing boats in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc.
The Datu Sanday was the same ship that experienced a water cannon attack and ramming from six Chinese vessels near Escoda (Sabina) Shoal on Aug. 25.
In the past year, Philippine vessels have been subjected to hostile acts taken by the CCG and its maritime militia vessels, including water cannon attacks. In June, a confrontation between the two sides resulted in a Filipino sailor losing his thumb.
On Tuesday, the Philippine Navy said 190 Chinese vessels were spotted in the West Philippine Sea, including 28 Chinese warships and CCG vessels at Ayungin (Second Thomas), Escoda and Panatag Shoals from Sept. 30 to Oct. 6.
