Chinese ships, planes block PH operations
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday criticized the China Coast Guard (CCG) for reportedly stopping them from going after foreign vessels suspected of engaging in dynamite fishing near Pag-asa Island.
At the same time, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said that two Chinese aircraft repeatedly maneuvered close to a Philippine military aircraft conducting a routine maritime patrol over Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea, putting the Filipino crew in danger.
“At around [7:20 a.m. on Sunday], personnel of the Joint Task Unit Pag-asa saw a foreign fishing vessel apparently doing blast fishing in the area. [The] Coast Guard District Kalayaan Island Group quickly formed an interagency team. The team deployed PCG High-Speed Response Boat HSRB-019, a Philippine Navy RHIB [rigid hull inflatable boat] and rubber boat, and a PNP Maritime Group RHIB,” the PCG said.
The PCG noted that as the Philippine team left the sheltered port of Pag-asa Island around 9:50 a.m., CCG vessels 5102 and 21581 moved toward them, blasting their horns.
When the Philippine team reached the foreign fishing vessel about 500 meters away from Sandy Cay 2 around 10 a.m., several small boats returned to the mother ship. The foreign vessel then moved away, ignoring the Filipinos’ orders for it to stop.
The PCG reported that CCG 21581 blocked and shadowed the Philippine team as it was following the foreign vessel and even came within about 10 yards of the PCG boat.
This prompted the Filipinos to stop following the foreign ship and return to Pag-asa Island around 10:48 a.m. “for safety reasons.”
The PCG condemned the incident, noting that dynamite fishing is prohibited under the Philippine Fisheries Code.
“The PCG stresses that this was a routine law enforcement operation against an illegal and destructive practice. It was not directed at any country. The incident will be documented and referred through the Department of Foreign Affairs for appropriate action through existing channels,” it said.
It added that the CCG “has no law enforcement authority in the territorial sea of Pag-asa Island. By obstructing Philippine authorities, the CCG did not protect the marine environment. It made it easier for a suspected violator to escape.”
In the second incident, two Chinese aircraft repeatedly maneuvered close to a Philippine military aircraft conducting a routine maritime patrol over Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea, endangering the Filipino crew.
In a statement on Sunday, the AFP confirmed that its Air Force C-208 utility turboprop encountered two Chinese military planes, including a J-16 fighter, while flying over the shoal on Oct. 3.
“During the encounter, the J-16 repeatedly approached and maneuvered in close proximity to the Philippine aircraft, including maneuvering ahead of and around it and positioning itself within the Philippine aircraft’s wake,” the AFP said. “These maneuvers posed an aviation safety risk.”
No personnel was hurt during the close encounter, and the AFP aircraft was able to “safely complete its assigned maritime patrol and return without further incident.”
Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Panatag Shoal, is a traditional fishing ground located 230 kilometers (124 nautical miles) west of Luzon, and 830 km (448 NM) from mainland China.
Under the 2016 arbitral award, it is classified as a rock that generates only a 12-nm territorial sea, with no entitlement to an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or continental shelf.
Its surrounding waters thus lie within the Philippines’ EEZ, extending 370 km (200 NM) from its baselines, granting the Philippines sovereign rights over living and nonliving resources.
However, the shoal has been under China’s control since 2012.
According to the AFP, the latest incident was part of a “recurring pattern of unsafe and coercive behavior” against Philippine government vessels and aircraft conducting lawful operations.
“The AFP remains vigilant and will continue to prioritize the safety of its personnel and aircraft while carrying out its mandate,” it said. INQ
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