MANILA, Philippines – At least four Filipinos sustained “minor injuries” after two China Coast Guard (CCG) ships used water cannons against a much smaller military-contracted vessel during a  resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on Tuesday, March 5. 

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The four were on board the Unaizah May 4, one of two civilian vessels that the Philippine Navy tapped to rotate personnel and bring supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre, an intentionally marooned World War II vessel that serves as a military outpost in Ayungin Shoal.  

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In a statement, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said two CCG ships – vessels 21555 and 21551 – used their water cannons against the Unaizah Mae 4 at the same time, eventually “[shattering] the wind shield” of the boat.

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“Once again, China’s latest unprovoked acts of coercion and dangerous maneuvres against a legitimate and routine Philippine rotation and resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal have put the lives of our people at risk and caused actual injury to Filipinos,” said the task force. 

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) treated the injured personnel aboard the BRP Sindangan, which had also figured in an incident with the CCG.  

Prior to the use of water cannons, a CCG vessel 21555 collided with the BRP Sindangan, causing “superficial structural damage.” 

“Throughout the operation, the PCG vessels faced dangerous maneuvers and blocking from Chinese Coast Guard vessels and Chinese Maritime Militia. Their reckless and illegal actions led to a collision between MRRV-4407 and China Coast Guard 21555 that resulted to minor structural damage to the PCG vessel,” said PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, March 4.

Footage posted by Tarriela on X showed the two coast guard ships colliding, and PCG personnel scrambling to place a barrier between the two ships as the CCG looked on. 

Two PCG ships, the 44-meter BRP Sindangan and BRP Cabra, were deployed to escort military-contracted civilian ships to bring supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre, an intentionally marooned World War II vessel that serves as a military outpost in Ayungin Shoal.  

The Unaizah May 1, Philippine Navy spokesperson Commodore Vincent Trinidad earlier confirmed, made it past China’s blocking attempts to bring supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre. 

Flashpoint: Ayungin Shoal

Both Manila and Beijing have tried to bring tensions down, especially in Ayungin, with Shanghai hosting in mid-January a bilateral meeting where both sides agreed to improve communication lines between diplomats and possibly its coast guards, too. 

“The systemic and consistent manner in which the People’s Republic of China carries out these illegal and irresponsible actions puts into questions the sincerity of its calls for peaceful dialogue and lessening of tensions,” said the NTF-WPS, a task force that counts members of the security, defense, and diplomatic sectors as its members. 

After again asserting that Manila has been consistent in following international law and the 2016 Arbitral Award, the task force said that “peace and stability cannot be achieved without due regard for the legitimate, well-established, and legally settled rights of others.”

“The Philippines will not be deterred from exercising our legal rights over our maritime zones, including Ayungin Shoal which forms part of our Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf. We demand that china demonstrate that it is a responsible and trustworthy member of the international community,” the task force added. 

Transparency initiative 

The military conducts mission to Ayungin at least once a month – although the first attempt in 2024 was disrupted by required repairs to a resupply ship, while details of the first successful mission were not made public. 

Ayungin is among the flashpoints of tensions in the West Philippine Sea, or part of the South China Sea within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. China, in contradiction to a 2016 arbitral ruling, claims practically the entire South China Sea as its own. 

The shoal is among the focuses of the “transparency initiative,” which aims to expose Chinese activities in those waters. Footage from Tarriela and the PCG indicate media were on board the Sindangan when it collided with the CCG vessel. 

China is infamous for its aggressive actions in the WPS, which has led to tense encounters between the Philippines and China. Vessels have collided before, while China in the past has used water cannons against Philippine ships.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Manila has filed nine diplomatic protests against China in 2024, as of end-February. Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the Philippines has filed 142 protests to date. – Rappler.com