Manila Philippines — Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships tasked for re-supply mission suffered severe damage after the latest incident of water cannoning by the Chinese Coast Guard in Scarborough Shoal.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea and the National Security Council, BFAR and PCG are still investigating the severity of the damage sustained by the Resupply team that was only supposed to deliver oil to Filipino fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc.
The behavior of Chinese ships inside the country’s exclusive economic zone is illegal and irresponsible says task force.
The task force also insisted that China does not care about the safety of Filipino fishermen who are part of their livelihood by sailing in the part of the ocean that China continues to claim.
In a statement, China said that the Philippine Coast Guard did not ask for permission regarding their operation.
What China did is said to be part of their standard to expel Philippine ships based on the law.
“These latest demonstrations of China’s illegal and irresponsible behavior highlight their egregious disregard for the Philippines’ lawful exercise of its rights and entitlements in our own EEZ. Clearly, China has no regard for the welfare of our fishermen who only want to make a decent living in the WPS,” said NSC in a statement.
In this regard, the international community expressed its condemnation of the violent and indiscriminate blockade, pursuit and water cannon bombing of the resupply team of the Philippines.
According to the American Embassy in the Philippines, the US will continue to support the Philippines in maintaining freedom of navigation and international law.
The Japanese Embassy in Manila expressed serious concern in this regard.
Canada said it strongly condemned the dangerous maneuvering of Chinese ships and called for compliance and respect for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Binding.
France also strongly opposes any kind of threat or use of force that is not in accordance with international law and calls again to China on the importance of resolving the conflict diplomatically.