China Vessels Ram & Tow Philippine Ships at Ayungin Shoal
CHINA – Chinese ships hit and towed Philippine boats, causing damage and putting the lives of Pinoy sailors in jeopardy, according to Philippine officials.
Philippine officials reported that Chinese ships rammed and towed Philippine vessels engaged in a rotation and resupply mission to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal on Monday, causing damage and endangering Filipino sailors’ lives.
Based on a report from Inquirer, The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea accused the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N), China Coast Guard (CCG), and Chinese maritime militia (CMM) of “dangerous maneuvers, including ramming and towing,” without detailing the incident.
“We strongly condemn the illegal, aggressive and reckless actions of the PLA-N, CCG and CMM. Their actions put at risk the lives of our personnel and damaged our boats, in blatant violation of international law, particularly the United Nations Charter, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” the task force stated.
Filipino sailors remained calm and professional, avoiding escalation and continuing their mission despite China’s provocations.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. also condemned the incident, asserting that China’s actions contradict their statements of goodwill and decency, highlighting to the international community that China is the true obstacle to peace and stability in the South China Sea.
US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson condemned China’s “aggressive, dangerous maneuvers” near Ayungin Shoal, which injured personnel, damaged vessels, and hindered lawful maritime operations to supply essential goods to Philippine personnel within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The CCG, however, claimed that a Philippine vessel “deliberately and dangerously” approached the Chinese ship in an “unprofessional” manner, ignoring repeated warnings, which led to the collision. Using Chinese names for Ayungin and the Spratly Islands, the CCG accused the Philippines of illegally entering the sea near Ren’ai Reef in China’s Nansha Islands at 5:59 a.m. on Monday and asserted that China “took control measures against the Philippine vessels in accordance with the law.”
The AFP strongly refuted China’s allegations, calling their account “deceptive and misleading,” and emphasized that the main issue is the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines’ EEZ, infringing on Philippine sovereignty and escalating regional tensions.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla stated that the AFP would not discuss operational details of the legal humanitarian rotation and resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal, which is well within the Philippines’ EEZ.
Ayungin Shoal, located within the Philippines’ 370-kilometer EEZ, lies about 194 km off Palawan province. To uphold the country’s sovereignty claims, the Sierra Madre hosts a small contingent of Filipino soldiers requiring regular resupply missions often disrupted by Chinese harassment.
According to the report, the collision on Monday coincided with China’s new coast guard regulations, effective over the weekend, allowing the CCG to detain foreigners for up to 60 days for alleged trespassing in Beijing-claimed waters.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, overlapping its claims with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan, and continues to ignore the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims.
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