China forces disrupt Philippines supply mission anew

MANILA, Philippines, October 10 ------ With an announcement of a live fire drill, a helicopter flying close to Filipino fishing boats and heavy presence of patrol ships, Chinese forces disrupted once again a humanitarian mission carried out by Philippine maritime authorities.

Both the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Philippine Coast Guard deployed vessels to perform the “Kadiwa sa Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda” humanitarian program at Panatag (Scarborough) and Escoda (Sabina) Shoals on Wednesday, according to a statement from PCG spokesman on West Philippine Sea issues Commodore Jay Tarriela. PCG patrol ships BRP Teresa Magbanua and BRP Cape San Agustin joined the mission in Panatag Shoal, while the BRP Melchora Aquino and BRP Cabra accompanied the BFAR, he noted. Along with 11 other vessels, the PCG and BFAR were supposed to distribute supplies of fuel and ice as well as grocery packs to “nearly 100 vessels, enabling fishermen to extend their fishing expeditions” at both Panatag and Escoda Shoals, he added.

Amid the mission, “a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) – Navy vessel 568 issued warnings from a distance regarding a live-fire exercise in the area, raising concerns among Filipino fishermen” at Panatag, also called Bajo de Masinloc, reported Tarriela. At Escoda Shoal, “a PLA Navy helicopter conducted low-altitude monitoring flights, further attempting to intimidate the fishermen,” he also said. Aside from PLA-Navy assets, a total of 15 China Coast Guard vessels and 19 Chinese maritime militia ships were also present during the PCG-BFAR operation. Panatag Shoal was reportedly guarded with seven CCG and 10 Chinese maritime militia vessels, and eight CCG and nine maritime militia ships at Escoda Shoal.

Some CCG personnel onboard speedboats also tried to block some of the Filipino fishing boats while a CCG patrol ship crossed the way of a PCG vessel, according to photos and videos from the PCG. Despite the new episode of harassment by Chinese forces, the mission delivered a total of 98,000 liters of fuel to the crew of 55 Filipino fishing boats at Panatag Shoal and 45 more at Escoda Shoal, as well as five tons of crushed ice and 345 grocery packs, said Tarriela. He said the BFAR also bought 35 tons of fish caught by fishermen at Panatag. It would have been the second time since last month that the PLA-Navy announced a live fire drill at Panatag Shoal, which was not carried out. “The Philippine Coast Guard, alongside our partners at BFAR, will never back down in defending the rights and livelihoods of our Filipino fishermen,” declared PCG Commandant Ronnie Gil Gavan.

He added the Kadiwa program “exemplifies President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s firm policy: we will neither waver nor surrender a single square inch of our territory to any foreign power.” Both Panatag and Escoda Shoals lie in the West Philippine Sea, within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone as defined under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and upheld in the landmark 2016 arbitral award.

Source: philstar.com