China Coast Guard personnel onboard a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (right) as they shadow a Philippine fishing boat (left) during a Filipino mission to bring supplies to fishermen near the Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on February 22. Photo: Handout/Philippine Coast Guard/AFP
Published February 25, 2024
- The BRP Datu Sanday was supplying fuel to fishermen near the Scarborough Shoal when it was harassed by Chinese vessels on February 22, the Philippine Coast Guard says
- Three of the four Chinese vessels came within 100 metres of Datu Sanday’s bow, in an incident report that also listed a number of other ‘dangerous manoeuvres’
The Philippines on Sunday accused the Chinese coastguard of attempting to block a Filipino government vessel delivering supplies to fishermen, the second such alleged incident near a disputed reef in two weeks.
The BRP Datu Sanday was supplying fuel to fishermen near the Scarborough Shoal when it was harassed by a China Coast Guard vessel and three other Chinese ships on February 22, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
Three of the four Chinese vessels came within 100 metres (328 feet) of Datu Sanday’s bow, it said in an incident report that also listed shadowing, vessel transponder jamming and other “dangerous manoeuvres”.
“Despite these manoeuvres, the skipper of BRP Datu Sanday exhibited excellent seamanship skills and managed to evade the blocking attempts,” said Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Filipino coastguard spokesman on South China Sea issues.
A week earlier, the Philippine Coast Guard said the BRP Datu Tamblot had a similar encounter in the area.
Scarborough Shoal – a triangular chain of reefs and rocks – has been a flashpoint between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012.
Since then, Beijing has deployed patrol boats that Manila says harass Philippine vessels and prevent Filipino fishermen from accessing a fish-rich lagoon there.
On social media, China’s state-run Global Times said on Saturday that the China Coast Guard had repelled the Datu Sanday “when the vessel illegally intruded into waters adjacent to China’s Huangyan Island”, using the Chinese name for the shoal.
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SOURCE: www.scmp.com
RELATED: China blocks PH vessel going to Bajo de Masinloc
Published February 25, 2024
The China Coast Guard (CCG) on Thursday blocked a Philippine vessel going to Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea.
In a video posted by GMA Integrated News’ John Consulta on Facebook on Saturday, it could also be seen that the CCG deployed a new floating barrier in the area to prevent the passage of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel BRP Datu Sanday.
The vessel was carrying diesel and aid for Filipino fisherfolk in Bajo de Masinloc.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) also released drone footage of the incident which took place at around 8 a.m. on February 22, 2024.
It showed CCG ship 3105 and a Chinese vessel blocking the BRP Datu Sanday from reaching the area.
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SOURCE: www.gmanetwork.com
RELATED: BFAR vessel blocked, ‘blinded’ by China Coast Guard in Bajo de Masinloc — PCG
BRP Datu Sanday, a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel, is blocked by a China Coast Guard vessel and two Chinese maritime militia vessels while en route to Bajo de Masinloc to distribute fuel aid to Filipino fishermen on February 22, 2024. (Photo by PCG)
Published February 25, 2024
The China Coast Guard (CCG) blocked, shadowed, and intercepted the automatic identification system (AIS) signal of a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel in Bajo de Masinloc (Panatag or Scarborough Shoal) in Zambales, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) disclosed on Sunday, February 25.
The incident occurred last Thursday, February 22, during the conduct of the rotational deployment of the PCG and BFAR in Bajo de Masinloc, according to PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela.
BFAR multi-mission offshore vessel BRP Datu Sanday (MMOV-3302) departed Capinpin Port in Orion, Bataan on February 21 to distribute fuel and grocery packs to Filipino fishermen and hold patrol operations in Bajo de Masinloc.
Around 6:34 a.m. on February 22, China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel with bow number “3105” started shadowing BRP Datu Sanday at approximately 24.15 nautical miles southeast of Bajo de Masinloc, Tarriela said. An unidentified warship was also observed to be accompanying the CCG ship.
While BRP Datu Sanday was sailing closer to Bajo de Masinloc, the CCG deployed rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) “3065” and “3302-1” to lay down a floating barrier, a technique that they frequently use to block foreign vessel from accessing the shoal.
Tarriela said that the CCG then started blocking the AIS signal of BRP Datu Sanday around 8:05 a.m. “to support China’s press release of successful ‘repelling’ of Philippine state vessels in [Bajo de Masinloc].”
Shortly after that, the CCG released a statement via their official website that they have repelled a Philippine vessel that allegedly intruded into the waters adjacent to Huangyan Dao, the name they call Bajo de Masinloc.
The AIS is an important factor in safe sea maneuvering as it transmits a vessel’s position so that other ships are aware of its location.
Blinding a ship by blocking its AIS signal poses several risks including possible grounding or collision.
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SOURCE: www.mb.com.ph
