The National Security Council denied China’s claims that a crew member of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel BRP Datu Sanday fell overboard and was subsequently rescued by the China Coast Guard, labeling such claims as “completely unfounded.”
“This misinformation serves as a clear illustration of the PRC’s willingness to distort the truth and engage in disinformation to bolster its public image,” the NSC said in a statement released on Sunday, after at least eight China Coast Guard (CCG) and People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) vessels water-cannoned and rammed the BFAR vessel.
“These unprofessional, aggressive, and illegal actions posed serious risks to the safety of the Filipino crew and the fishermen they were meant to serve. Despite these provocative maneuvers, the crew aboard the BFAR vessel maintains high morale and remains safe and unharmed,” it added.
BRP Datu Sanday was traveling from Hasa-Hasa Shoal and was on its way to Escoda Shoal when it encountered aggressive and dangerous maneuvers from eight Chinese maritime forces aimed at obstructing the BFAR vessel’s humanitarian mission to resupply Filipino fishermen with diesel, food, and medical supplies.
“The BRP Datu Sanday was targeted by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) 626 and multiple China Coast Guard (CCG) ships, which attempted to encircle and block the humanitarian mission. The CCG vessels made close, perilous maneuvers that resulted in ramming, blasting horns, and deploying water cannons against the BFAR vessel, eventually leading to the latter’s engine failure and forcing an early termination of the humanitarian operation,” the NSC said.
Meanwhile, at least three foreign dignitaries in the Philippines expressed concern as they condemned the new incident in the West Philippine Sea, where China Coast Guard (CCG), People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N), and maritime militia vessels harassed a Philippine civilian vessel in an attempt to prevent a humanitarian mission in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal on Sunday, August 25.
European Union Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Veron criticized China, labeling its actions as “disturbing.”
“The EU trusts that respect for international law, including UNCLOS, is essential in the South China Sea as anywhere else,” Veron said in a post on the EU Ambassador’s official X account.
Japanese Ambassador Kazuya Endo, on the other hand, said the incident is “another unacceptable development around Sabina Shoal.”
Kazuya said such actions that increase tensions or obstruct freedom of navigation are not tolerated, and that a rules-based international order must be upheld and adherence to commitments must prevail.
US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson likewise lambasted China for its “unsafe, unlawful, and aggressive conduct,” stating that the PRC disrupted a legal mission, endangering lives — the latest in multiple dangerous actions by the PRC.
“We are steadfast in supporting our #FriendsPartnersAllies,” Carlson tweeted.
Hasa-Hasa (Half-Moon) Shoal is located approximately 60 nautical miles from Rizal, Palawan, while Escoda (Sabina) Shoal is about 110 nautical miles away, both well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The NSC once again reiterated the Philippine government’s call on the People’s Republic of China to halt these provocative actions that destabilize regional peace and security. “The Philippines remains steadfast in asserting its rights in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” it said.
“It is the PRC that is trespassing in our Exclusive Economic Zone. Escoda Shoal is located within our EEZ, while your claim to Xianbin Jao exists only in the imagination of the Chinese Communist Party,” it added, noting that China is calling for Philippine vessels to withdraw from Escoda Shoal because of the illegal activities they are conducting in the area.
