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Philippines expresses ‘complaint and displeasure’ over ramming of coast guard vessel

Article (news)

Pia Gutierrez

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17252541389351725177146754448256252_895688149273109_2442115662186348941_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><span id="isPasted" style="white-space:pre-wrap">In this Philippine Coast Guard handout photo, the officers and crew of BRP Teresa Magbanua hoist the Philippine flag to mark Philippine Independence Day on June 12, 2024.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)" id="isPasted"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">MANILA – The Philippines has expressed its “complaint and displeasure” over China’s ramming of the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua near Escoda or Sabina Shoal last weekend, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Monday. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“We have made the necessary approaches to China in terms of contacting them through various means to express our complaint and displeasure at what happened. And not only that, our concern about raising tensions over what was basically just innocent movement by Philippine vessel,” Manalo said in an interview in Malacanang.</span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br/></span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br/></span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">China and the Philippines on Saturday accused each other of deliberately ramming their coast guard ships near Sabina Shoal. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/1/china-releases-own-video-of-collision-with-brp-teresa-magbanua-1752">China releases own video of collision with BRP Teresa Magbanua</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Manalo said Philippine authorities were surprised by the incident, which happened as the vessel was moving around Escoda Shoal.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“They have accused us, as usual, of doing this and that, but obviously it was just their doing this… We were just moving, and we were surprised by this incident,” he said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Philippine government is studying “possible approaches to this issue” which could be made clear in the coming days or weeks, the official said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“We&#x27;re contemplating, at the moment, possible approaches to this issue. And I think siguro in the coming days or weeks, we&#x27;ll probably have a better picture of where we&#x27;re headed for this,” he said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/8/27/pcg-says-it-will-not-pull-out-brp-teresa-magbanua-from-escoda-shoal-1706">PCG says it will not pull out BRP Teresa Magbanua from Escoda Shoal</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sabina Shoal is located 140 kilometers west of the Philippine island of Palawan and about 1,200 kilometers from Hainan island, the nearest major Chinese landmass.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said the China Coast Guard vessel 5205 &quot;directly and intentionally rammed&quot; the Philippines&#x27; ship, BRP Teresa Magbanua.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The vessel has been anchored inside Sabina Shoal since April to assert Manila&#x27;s claim over the area.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Tarriela said the BRP Teresa Magbanua was rammed three times -- hitting the port bow, starboard quarter and port beam.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/9/1/eu-condemns-dangerous-actions-by-china-against-ph-ship-2139">EU &#x27;condemns dangerous actions&#x27; by China against PH ship</a></span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br/></span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">No crew members were injured during the incident but the ship&#x27;s bridge wing and freeboard were damaged. A hole was also found.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The collision was the fifth incident of Chinese maritime harassment this month, Tarriela said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Philippine and Chinese vessels have collided near Sabina Shoal at least twice this month, and analysts say Beijing is trying to move deeper into Manila&#x27;s exclusive economic zone and normalize Chinese control of the area.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/1/china-may-be-trying-to-drive-brp-teresa-magbanua-out-of-escoda-shoal-analyst-1456">China may be trying to drive BRP Teresa Magbanua out of Escoda Shoal — analyst</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The discovery this year of piles of crushed coral at the shoal ignited suspicion in Manila that Beijing was planning to build another permanent base there, which would be its closest outpost to the Philippine archipelago.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Recent clashes between Philippine and Chinese vessels have also taken place around Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">A Filipino sailor lost a thumb in a clash there in June when Chinese coast guard members wielding knives, sticks and an ax foiled a Philippine Navy attempt to resupply a small garrison.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/1/taiwan-chinese-communist-party-should-not-threaten-ph-other-nations-for-reckless-ambition-1450">Taiwan: Chinese Communist Party should not threaten PH, other nations for &#x27;reckless ambition&#x27;</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sabina Shoal is also the rendezvous point for Philippine resupply missions to the garrison on Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The repeated confrontations prompted Manila to brand Beijing the </span><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/8/27/philippines-says-china-biggest-disruptor-of-peace-in-southeast-asia-1117"></a><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/8/27/philippines-says-china-biggest-disruptor-of-peace-in-southeast-asia-1117">&quot;biggest disrupter&quot; to peace</a></span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> in Southeast Asia at a defense conference this month.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/1/us-condemns-china-s-latest-ramming-of-ph-vessel-follow-law-stop-dangerous-moves-941">US condemns China&#x27;s latest ramming of PH vessel: Follow law, stop dangerous moves</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong>– With a report from Agence France-Presse</strong></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>The Philippines has expressed its “complaint and displeasure” over China’s ramming of the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua near Escoda or Sabina Shoal last weekend. </p>

The Philippines has expressed its “complaint and displeasure” over China’s ramming of the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua near Escoda or Sabina Shoal last weekend.