By Junex Doronio
MANILA — On Monday (19 August 2024), the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) resolutely asserted that the Chinese Coast Guard’s (CCG) “unlawful and aggressive maneuvers” in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) led to collisions that caused damage to two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels near Escoda Shoal, located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“This morning, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410) and BRP Cape Engaño (MRRV-4411) encountered unlawful and aggressive maneuvers from Chinese Coast Guard vessels while en route to Patag and Lawak Islands in the West Philippine Sea,” the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) disclosed in a statement.
Earlier, CCG spokesperson Gan Yu claimed on the social media platform Weibo that the Philippine vessels BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engaño “deliberately” collided with a CCG vessel near Escoda Shoal.
“At 03:24, the Philippine ship No. 4410 (BRP Bagacay) ignored China’s repeated solemn warnings and deliberately collided with China’s 21551 boat, which was normally safeguarding its rights and enforcing the law in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a collision,” Gan said.
However, the NTF-WPS clarified that the BRP Cape Engaño and BRP Bagacay were en route to deliver essential supplies to personnel stationed in Patag and Lawak Islands when the incident occurred.
According to the task force, the BRP Cape Engaño was navigating 23.01 nautical miles southeast of Escoda Shoal at 3:24 a.m. when CCG vessel 3104 executed “aggressive maneuvers,” leading to a collision that created a five-inch hole on the starboard beam of the ship.
Recently, the Chinese Foreign Ministry lodged a formal protest concerning the presence of the Philippine ship BRP Teresa Magbanua in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal.
It is noteworthy that Escoda Shoal, also known as Sabina Shoal, is situated 75 nautical miles, or approximately 140 kilometers, off Palawan and lies within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“The PCG stands firm in its responsibility to ensure the safety and security of our maritime domain while addressing any threats to our national interests,” the NTF-WPS asserted.
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