User Philippines accuses China of attempting to block another vessel

This photo, dated February 22, 2024, and received on February 25, 2024, from the Philippine Coast Guard, depicts China Coast Guard members on a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (R) shadowing a Philippine fishing boat (L). The surveillance occurred during a mission by the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to deliver supplies to fishermen near the contested Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea. (AFP)

On Sunday, the Philippines accused the Chinese coast guard of attempting to obstruct a Filipino government vessel, the BRP Datu Sanday, delivering supplies to fishermen near the disputed Scarborough Shoal. This marks the second alleged incident near the reef within two weeks. The Datu Sanday, supplying fuel to fishermen, faced harassment from a China Coast Guard vessel and three other Chinese ships on February 22, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. In an incident report, dangerous maneuvers such as vessels coming within 100 meters, shadowing, and transponder jamming were listed.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Filipino coast guard spokesman, praised the Datu Sanday's skipper for skillfully evading the blocking attempts. Scarborough Shoal, seized by China from the Philippines in 2012, has been a persistent flashpoint. China's patrol boats allegedly harass Philippine vessels, impeding access to the lagoon for Filipino fishermen. China's state-run Global Times claimed that the Datu Sanday was repelled for illegally intruding into waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Island, as per Saturday's social media post.

Situated 240 kilometers west of Luzon, Philippines' main island, and almost 900 kilometers from Hainan, the nearest major Chinese land mass, Scarborough Shoal has been a focal point of tension. China asserts control over nearly the entire South China Sea, disregarding an international tribunal ruling that deemed its claims legally unfounded. Previous confrontations between China and the Philippines in disputed areas witnessed collisions and Chinese vessels using water cannon against Philippine boats.

Feb. 25, 2024 7:59 p.m. 1507

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