MANILA – The Bureau of Fisheries of the Philippines said that a “Chinese navy” boat deliberately rammed one of its two patrol vessels as usual near Thitu Island, in the South China Sea last Friday.
The ship was scarred due to its problems, said the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in a statement issued on Monday night.
China and the Philippines have been at loggerheads following a series of clashes near disputed features in South China, with Manila accusing China’s security guard of aggression and Beijing angered by what it calls repeated provocations and territorial incursions.
The Philippines has also accused China of maintaining a navy to strengthen its presence in the South China Sea. Beijing has insisted they are civilian ships.
The video shared by the office shows a Chinese boat with bow number 00108 approaching its vessel, the BRP Datu Cabaylo, before colliding with it.
“Despite the incident, the BFAR vessel maintained its position and was able to continue … its mission,” the fisheries office said.
China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including the Philippine-occupied Thitu, and rejects a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that Beijing’s expansive claims are groundless under international law. The case was brought to court by the Philippines.
The maritime rush last week comes after a regional summit of Southeast Asian leaders where Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for a code of conduct to be discussed for the South China Sea to be followed immediately. – Reuters
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