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MANILA, Philippines — Several vessels from the China Coast Guard used water cannons against two Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ships when the latter attempted to deliver supplies to Filipino fishers within the Scarborough Shoal.
According to a report by News5, the incident occurred when the China maritime militia tried to obstruct the BFAR vessels from nearing the shoal around 10 a.m. on Saturday.
The resupply mission was meant to bring diesel, engine oil and Noche Buena packages for Filipino fishermen working at the controversial waters — an area which is well within the 200 nautical exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines.
Scarborough Shoal (also known as Bajo de Masinloc) lies within the West Philippine Sea, an area which the Permanent Court of Arbitration awarded to the Philippines in 2016 after invalidating Beijing’s nine-dash line claim.
However, China persistently asserts ownership over the region. Even in 2023, Beijing released a “standard map” that claimed territories in the West Philippine Sea, parts of India, Taiwan and Malaysia as their own.
Despite the recent surge in hostilities, the resupply mission persisted as Filipino fisherfolk redirected their course towards the BFAR ships.
Philstar.com reached out to both Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tessa Daza and the Philippine Coast Guard for comment on the issue but had not received a response as of press time.
Not the first time
This isn’t the first cannon attack by China against Filipinos, as similar incidents took place in August and November previously.
Beijing earlier justified the actions as “professional and restrained,” asserting that the Philippines is encroaching upon China’s sovereignty.
The incident happens as 40 volunteers belonging to the first batch of the civilian-led Christmas convoy left Manila for Ayungin Shoal — another area within the West Philippine Sea being claimed by China.
— James Relativo with reports from News5/Dave Abuel
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Credit belongs to: www.philstar.com
