Philippines fishermen hurt, boat damaged by China in West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines, December 15 ------ Another water cannon attack by the Chinese has injured three Filipino fishermen and caused “significant damage” to their vessels, the Philippine Coast Guard reported.

In a statement, the PCG said the latest water cannon incident occurred in the vicinity of Escoda (Sabina) Shoal near Palawan last Friday. On the same day, the China Coast Guard (CCG) said it had expelled a Philippine aircraft from the airspace over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal. It was the latest in a series of escalating confrontations at sea between Chinese and Philippine vessels. Beijing claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including the area within Philippine waters called West Philippine Sea, despite an international ruling that Beijing’s assertion has no legal basis.

Nearly two dozen Philippine fishing boats “were targeted with water cannons and dangerous blocking maneuvers,” according to PCG spokesman Jay Tarriela, who accused the Chinese of “evil wrongdoing to ordinary Filipino fishermen.” A small Chinese coast guard boat also cut the anchor lines of several Filipino boats, endangering their crews, the PCG said. “Three fishermen sustained physical injuries, including bruises and open wounds. Two (Filipino fishing boats) also suffered significant damage from high-pressure water cannon blasts,” Tarriela said.

Video released by the PCG showed water cannon blasts crashing over the small fishing boats. Tarriela said the high-powered streams had “destroyed wooden structures” on the vessels. “The PCG calls on the Chinese Coast Guard to adhere to internationally recognized standards of conduct, prioritizing the preservation of life at sea over pretensions of law enforcement that jeopardize the lives of innocent fishermen,” the PCG said.

The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside office hours. On Friday, China’s coast guard said it had driven away multiple Philippine vessels and taken “control measures.” The PCG said vessels it deployed to aid the injured fishermen were also blocked repeatedly by Chinese ships to prevent them from reaching Sabina Shoal. “Despite these unprofessional and unlawful interferences, the PCG successfully reached the fishermen this morning and provided immediate medical attention to the injured, along with essential supplies,” the PCG statement said.

The PCG ships involved in the rescue operations were the BRP Malapascua and BRP Cape Engaño. Tarriela said the latest show of Chinese aggression was a violation of human rights and an affront to Philippine sovereignty. “I’d like to emphasize that this is a serious violation of human rights of the Filipino fishermen, as well as the Philippines’ legitimate sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea,” he maintained.

Source: philstar.com