PH says China Coast Guard elevating tensions in WPS

The Philippines on Wednesday accused China Coast Guard of elevating tensions in the South China Sea after its use of water cannons that damaged two of its vessels, an official said.

"The Chinese Coast Guard now has elevated the tension and the level of their aggression as well towards the Philippine Coast Guard vessel," Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard's spokesperson for West Philippine Sea issues, told a news briefing.

"This is the first time that we can say that the coast guard vessel has been subjected to a direct water cannon with that kind of pressure that even resulted in structural damage," he added.

Tarriela said the CCG seemed to have increased the pressure of their water cannons compared to the previous incidents.

“If you are going to compare it last year and the recent incidents from the resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal and now here in Bajo de Masinloc with our humanitarian mission, it goes to show that Goliath is becoming more Goliath,” he said.

“They don't hesitate to use brute force, to violate international law, to show the international community that they are really going to blatantly disregard UNCLOS,” he added, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

For Tarriela, China’s action was a response to the transparency strategy that the Philippines is using amid the tension in the WPS.

“If you are going to ask me how am I going to interpret it, for me, this is still a response of China perhaps on our David and Goliath narrative. Because since we start our transparency strategy before, the David and Goliath shows we are the David and they are the Goliath and on the story it's David who was victorious in that kind of scenario,” he said.

On Tuesday, the PCG said CCG vessels fired water cannons at Philippine civilian vessels en route to Scarborough Shoal -- also called Panatag Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc -- in the WPS.

The PCG vessel BRP Bagacay sustained damage on a part of its superstructure.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel BRP Bankaw — which was also rammed by Chinese vessels three times — sustained damage on its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, electrical, navigation, and radio systems.

Several countries have expressed concern over the incident.

The Philippines and China have repeatedly clashed in recent months at the submerged reef, which Manila says is in its exclusive economic zone.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. 

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China's claims had no legal basis. — KBK, GMA Integrated News