NTF-WPS condemns China's ramming of BFAR vessel off Palawan

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The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) on Friday condemned the China Coast Guard (CCG) for reportedly ramming a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel on a civilian mission.

"We remain resolute in protecting the rights and welfare of our fisherfolk and ensuring that lawful government missions in the WPS continue without intimidation or coercion," the NTF-WPS said in a statement.

"The NTF-WPS calls on China to cease dangerous and unlawful actions that endanger lives at sea. We will continue to exercise our rights under international law with restraint, professionalism, and firm commitment to the security and dignity of the Filipino people," it added.

CCG vessel 21585 rammed the BRP Datu Magat Salamat while the Philippine vessel was carrying out its maritime patrol and fuel subsidy mission around 6.36 nautical miles north-northwest of Abad Santos Shoal and about 54 nautical miles from Palawan's coast.

This area is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

According to the Task Force, the BFAR vessel was conducting a lawful civilian mission when the Chinese vessel repeatedly made hazardous maneuvers before deliberately making contact with the Philippine ship.

The collision damaged the BFAR vessel and put its civilian crew at risk, according to the NTF-WPS.

The BFAR vessel sustained damage to its starboard side, including bent, broken and detached railings, deformed metal stanchions and support structures, and displaced deck fixtures and equipment, according to the PCG.

For the NTF-WPS, China's actions constituted a serious breach of the 1972 Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs), the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 Arbitral Award.

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country's claim.

The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has refused to recognize the decision. — VDV, GMA News