CHINESE SHIP RAMS BFAR VESSEL

A China Coast Guard (CCG) ship fired a water cannon and deliberately rammed a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel anchored in the territorial waters of Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Sunday morning, Oct. 12, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

- By MARTIN SADONGDONG

PCG spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said Coast Guard personnel aboard BRP Datu Pagbuaya and two other BFAR vessels were in the area to provide protection for Filipino fishermen as part of the Kadiwa para sa Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda (KBBM) initiative when multiple CCG and Chinese maritime militia vessels approached dangerously close and activated their water cannons around 8:15 a.m.