China rams another PH coast guard ship
A China Coast Guard (CCG) ship “intentionally and repeatedly” rammed one of the Philippines’ biggest coast guard vessels at Escoda (Sabina) Shoal on Saturday as Beijing tried to drive Filipinos away from the shoal in the West Philippine Sea, officials said.
Such harassment of Philippine vessels in those waters by the Chinese was the fifth this month, indicating an escalation of China’s efforts to assert control over Escoda.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela, coast guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the ramming damaged the BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV 9701), which has been anchored at Escoda since April 15.
He said that around 8:50 a.m. on Saturday, the Magbanua lifted anchor “with the intention of loitering” around the shoal. Nearby were at least 11 Chinese vessels—seven maritime militia boats, two navy tug boats and CCG 4303 and 3104.
Soon, the Chinese ships started to surround the PCG vessel, Tarriela said.
He said that “all of a sudden,” another Chinese coast guard ship—CCG 5205—which had not been originally deployed with the other Chinese vessels, approached the Magbanua. By 12:07, CCG 5205 “carried out a dangerous maneuver resulting in its direct ramming on the port (left side) bow” of the Magbanua.
Unprovoked
After hitting the PCG vessel, CCG 5205 turned around and rammed the starboard (right side) of the Magbanua, made another turn and “directly and intentionally” rammed the Philippine vessel again.
“Obviously, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel 5205 has ignored collision regulation because of such action,” Tarriela said.“It is important for us to take note that this ramming happened despite our unprovoked action and presence in Escoda Shoal,” he said. “The Philippine Coast Guard vessel did not provoke or did not do anything while we were loitering around the shoal, but the Chinese Coast Guard carried out dangerous maneuvers despite being unprovoked.” No one on the Magbanua was hurt, but the Chinese ship punched a hole on the freeboard (above the waterline of the hull) and damaged the bridge wing of the PCG vessel, but did not cripple it.
He said details of the damage were not immediately available as it was still being assessed.He said there was a need to send a team “to evaluate and to ensure the seaworthiness of BRP Teresa Magbanua.”
Protest vs Magbanua
The Magbanua is one of the two biggest and most modern ships of the PCG. The other is the BRP Melchora Aquino. Both were built in Japan.
Tarriela said it was likely that the CCG’s maneuvers were driven in part by the fact that the shoal had become an issue for the Chinese government since the Magbanua was deployed there.
Beijing filed a diplomatic protest demanding that the Magbanua be withdrawn from Escoda. “They also use different platforms to highlight that they are seeing this as a semi-grounded or a possible place for creating a forward deployment base,” according to National Maritime Council spokesperson Alexander Lopez. “So, as far as the Chinese Coast Guard is concerned, (they have a different) appreciation of our deployment for Teresa Magbanua. But as I said, for the Philippine Coast Guard, the reason and objective of the deployment of Teresa Magbanua is only purely for us to carry out a legal and legitimate mission,” he said.
US envoy joins furor
Lopez said the shoal is about 140 kilometers from Palawan, well within the Philippines’ 370-km exclusive economic zone.
“So, the Chinese Coast Guard vessels are the ones illegally there,” he said. “We are there on a legal basis because it is ours. We don’t need to ask for permission in our own house.”US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said in a post on X that Washington “condemns the multiple dangerous violations of international law by the PRC, including today’s intentional ramming of the BRP Teresa Magbanua while it was conducting lawful operations within the Philippines’ EEZ.”
“We stand with the Philippines in upholding international law,” she said.
‘Illegally stranded’
CCG spokesperson Liu Dejun said the Magbanua, “which was illegally stranded in China’s Xianbin Reef, lifted anchor and continued to maneuver and cause trouble” in the lagoon.It said that CCG 5205 issued “warnings and following up on” the movement of the Filipino vessel, which “deliberately collided” with it.
“The responsibility lies entirely with the Philippines. We once again warn the Philippines to face reality, give up illusions, and withdraw immediately on its own is the only correct way. Do not misjudge the situation, create hot spots, or escalate the situation, otherwise the Philippines will bear all consequences,” Liu said in a statement posted by the Chinese Embassy in Manila on X.
He reiterated China’s “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratly Islands, including Escoda, and its “adjacent waters.”“The China Coast Guard will take necessary measures to resolutely thwart all infringements that provoke trouble and cause trouble, and resolutely safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” Liu said.Last Aug. 19, several Chinese and Philippine vessels also collided near the shoal, with both countries claiming the other intentionally collided with the other.
On Aug. 22, the Chinese launched flares from its military base on Zamora (Subi) Reef during a joint aerial patrol by the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources over the Kalayaan Island Group.
Collisions again occurred on Aug. 25. On the next day, 40 Chinese ships prevented two Philippine boats on a humanitarian mission to restock the Magbanua. INQ
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