China fires water cannon on Phl humanitarian ships

Chinese vessels have once again harassed Filipino boats and ships on a humanitarian mission at Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Panatag or Scarborough Shoal, in the West Philippine Sea.

- GHIO ONG

"China Coast Guard (CCG) ships utilized water cannons to obstruct and prevent BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) vessels from approaching the Filipino fishing vessels eagerly awaiting the oil subsidy and grocery packs," according to a statement from the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS).

Datu The task force referred to three BFAR vessels Sanday, Datu Bankaw and Datu Tamblot on a "regular humanitarian and support mission of providing oil subsidy and grocery packs to over 30 Filipino fishing vessels near Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea" yesterday.

The BFAR ships approached "1.4 to 1.9 nautical miles" from Bajo de Masinloc when the CCG fired their water cannons,  which were used "at least eight times," according to the NTF-WPS.

The impact of the water cannons used by the CCG caused "significant damage" to Datu Tamblot's communication and navigation equipment after it was "directly and deliberately targeted." Aside from the CCG vessels, the NTF-WPS said those from the Chinese maritime militia "engaged in dangerous maneuvers and deployed what is understood to be a long-range acoustic device against the BFAR vessels, causing severe temporary discomfort and incapacitation to some Filipino crew." Chinese maritime authorities also sent rigid hull inflatable boats "to disperse and drive away Filipino fishing vessels eagerly awaiting the distribution of fuel subsidy and food supplies from the BFAR ships," the task force added.