Chinese ships ram Philippine vessel

Chinese coast guard ships fired powerful water cannons Sunday and rammed and slightly damaged an anchored Philippine government vessel off an island inhabited by Filipinos in the disputed South China Sea, the Philippine coast guard said.

- By Jim GOMEZ

There were no injuries among Filipino crewmen of the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, part of the fisheries fleet that provides support to Filipino fishermen. The Chinese coast guard targeted Pagbuaya off the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island in the latest flareup of the long-simmering territorial disputes involving Manila, Beijing and four other governments.

Two other Philippine fisheries vessels were hit with water cannons in Sunday’s face-off at least L6 nautical miles from Thitu Island. There were no injuries or damage, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela saidina news briefing Monday.

The Chinese coast guard accused the Philippine vessels of illegally entering what it called Chinese waters near acluster of sandbars known as Sandy Cay, which lies between Thitu and China’s artificial island base called Subi, and “ignoring repeated stern warnings from the Chinese side.” It said it “took control measures against the Philippine vessels in accordance with the law and resolutely drove them away.”

China has repeatedly reasserted its sovereignty and control over virtually the en-