[ad_1]
Another confrontation The images released by the Philippine Coast Guard through the X account of its spokesperson Commodore Jay Tariela show the extent of damage sustained by its vessel after it was rammed by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel near Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea early Monday morning.
MANILA, Philippines — Two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels were damaged in a collision with Chinese vessels engaged in “illegal and aggressive operations” near Escoda (Sabina) Shoal, the Philippine government said on Monday, sparking a new conflict between Manila and Beijing.
According to a statement by the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea read out by National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya at a media forum, the Philippine Coast Guard vessels BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410) and BRP Cape Engaño (MRRV-4411) were en route to resupply outposts Patag Island (Ping Island) and Lawak Island (Nanshan Island) before dawn on Monday when they encountered the Chinese Coast Guard vessels, whose maneuvers “resulted in a collision between the two vessels and caused structural damage.”
China claims the reef, which it calls Senbin Reef, but it is just 139 kilometers (75 nautical miles) off the coast of Palawan and within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
“Our vessel sustained serious damage — a three-foot-deep hole in the auxiliary compartment of the (BRP Bagacay) and a foot-deep dent in the starboard (right) quarter,” he said on the government television program “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.”
On the other hand, the BRP Cape Engaño sustained a 1.1-meter diameter hole on its starboard side and 40 centimeters of damage to the engine exhaust pipe, also in the starboard quarter, Malaya added.
The Philippine crew was not injured in the encounter and continued their mission to deliver essential supplies to personnel stationed on Patag and Lawak Islands. The Philippines occupies nine outposts in the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea.
Chinese version exposed
Chinese Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu previously claimed that Philippine Coast Guard vessels “illegally entered the waters near Xianbin Reef without the permission of the Chinese government,” prompting the Chinese government to “take control measures in accordance with the law.”
He accused the Philippine Coast Guard vessel of ignoring “repeated stern warnings” leading to the collision with the Chinese ship.
Yu Jianjun claimed: “The responsibility for this collision incident lies entirely with the Philippines.”
Malaya harshly criticised China’s account of the incident and accused Beijing of releasing a “spliced and misleading video”.
“We condemn this deliberate attempt to … change the narrative and create their own version of the scenario and reality,” Malaya said, noting that there were international media personnel on board the Philippine Coast Guard vessel at the time and “the truth will then emerge.”
He clarified that while Escoda Reef was not part of the initial preliminary understanding, the “goodwill move” was premised on China not taking “dangerous actions” in other areas of the West Philippine Sea.
Commodore Jay Tariela, spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea, said it was the first violent clash between the two countries near Escoda Island.
Retired Rear Admiral Rommel Jude Ong believes the latest incident is the same “mission-kill” strategy China is using at Second Thomas Shoal.
“China’s aim is not to sink our ships, but to destroy them. The two Coast Guard ships will eventually return to port for repairs. The repairs may take six months and then they will be unusable. We only have 10 of these ships and we may run out (of ships) just like we ran out of Unaizah May ships in Ayungin,” he said at the same forum, referring to the ships used in Ayungin for resupply missions that were eventually replaced after being rammed by Chinese ships and damaged by water cannons.
Insult to sovereignty
Lawmakers condemned the latest aggressive actions by Chinese vessels.
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said the Philippines should assess China’s sincerity in seeking a peaceful resolution to the two countries’ maritime dispute after the Escoda incident.
Senator Grace Poe also condemned China’s “recent irresponsible actions,” saying such actions only jeopardize the “freedom of maritime routes guaranteed by international law” and endanger the safety of Philippine Coast Guard personnel.
Speaker Martin Romualdez urged China to exercise restraint and stop actions that endanger lives and violate established international rules.
Romualdez insisted that the way forward is dialogue and mutual respect rather than aggression, noting that regional security depends on this.
He described the Chinese Coast Guard’s actions as “a direct affront to our sovereignty and a blatant violation of international law,” particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Unable to save your subscription. Please try again.
Your subscription was successful.
He called on the international community to pay attention to China’s “dangerous” actions, saying they threatened regional stability and freedom of navigation in the region. —Reporting by Marlon Ramos and Jeannette I. Andrade
For full coverage and in-depth analysis, visit our special page Latest News on West Philippine Sea. Stay up to date with articles, videos and expert advice.
[ad_2]
Source link
