Philippines foils 'attack in South China Sea drills with US, Japan

BATAAN, Philippines The Philippines on Tuesday neutralised” a simulated terrorist threat off the coast of Bataan province in the South China Sea as part of its first coast guard drills with defence allies United States and Japan, amid tensions with China.

- Mara Cepeda

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel boarded a patrol vessel marked as a mock enemy vessel, MV Destroyer”, to intercept four crew members with links to an international terrorist group.

The PCG was tasked to stop the MV Destroyer, which was carrying weapons of mass destruction”, from entering the country’s ports.

Journalists watching the drills from another PCG ship heard the shooting of blank bullets ring out in the disputed waters as Filipino coast guard officers boarded the MV Destroyer to pursue their targets.

Vessels from the US Coast Guard USCG) and the Japan Coast Guard JCG) were on standby as they received radio updates about the operation from a PCG officer.

Minutes later, PCG personnel were seen arresting four of the MV Destroyer’s crew on the deck.

The USCG’s Stratton cutter vessel and the JCG’s Akitsushima vessel went into action after five other crew members jumped overboard, signalling the start of the search-and-rescue part of the trilateral exercises.