Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

The PCG reports China’s aggressive actions on Tuesday began with a radio challenge from the CCG at 6:15 a.m. At 7 a.m., CCG vessels began driving away Filipino fishermen. By 8:30 a.m., the Chinese Navy announced it will conduct a “live fire exercise” with specific coordinates. Zen Hernandez, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Zen Hernandez

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758096899188cropped-20250917080944_b833530b-2838-41b2-83eb-380388665354.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The PCG reports China’s aggressive actions on Tuesday began with a radio challenge from the CCG at 6:15 a.m. At 7 a.m., CCG vessels began driving away Filipino fishermen. By 8:30 a.m., the Chinese Navy announced it will conduct a “live fire exercise” with specific coordinates. Zen Hernandez, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday shared details of the recent maritime incident involving Philippine and Chinese vessels near the Scarborough Shoal last Tuesday.</p><p>PCG Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela, said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy issued a live fire exercise warning before things escalated at sea—resulting to the injury of one Filipino crew member of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and damage to its vessel, the BRP Datu Gumbay Piang.</p><p>“They do not have the rights to conduct and announce unilaterally, that they are going to conduct a live fire exercise within our own exclusive economic zone,&quot; said Tarriela.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>TIMELINE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>According to Tarriela, China’s aggressive actions began with a radio challenge from the CCG at 6:15 a.m. Tuesday. </p><p>At 7 a.m., CCG vessels began driving away Filipino fishermen. </p><p>By 8:30 a.m., the Chinese Navy announced it will conduct a “live fire exercise” with specific coordinates, and by 8:33 a.m. the CCG has started using water cannons. </p><p>At 8:57, it began employing dangerous maneuvers. </p><p>By 9:14 a.m., CCG vessels 5201 and 21562 were double-teaming BFAR’s BRP Datu Gumbay Piang, causing it to collide with one of the CCG vessels.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/16/-not-provoking-anybody-pcg-refutes-chinas-allegations-after-collision-of-ships-1306">PCG tells China: &#x27;It&#x27;s not us who is provoking anybody&#x27;</a></div><p>“Inipit siya in between nung dalawang China Coast Guard vessel. At 9:43 in the morning, they also used the jetstream water cannon, itong much smaller vessel, and this time around, BRP Datu Gumbay Piang was already damaged from the rear of the bridge,” Tarriela explained.</p><p>Aside from damage to the BFAR vessel’s two glass windows, air conditioning units, internet connection and radio communication system, one of its crew members was slightly injured.</p><p>“Isang crew ng BFAR ay tinamaan ng mga nabasag na glass coming from the window of, sa likuran nung bridge ng barko. So ito ang naging dahilan kung bakit nagkaroon siya ng sugat sa dulo ng kanyang tenga. But I don’t think that it is serious, na-attendan naman agad ito ng ating mga medical personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard,” Tarriela assured.</p><p>But China’s Coast Guard is claiming that BRP Datu Gumbay Piang deliberately “rammed” its vessel. Beijing also insisted its actions were “necessary and justified.”</p><p>“Huangyan Dao is China’s territory,” Li Jian said in reply to a media question.</p><p>“What happened proved once again that the Philippines’ deliberate infringement and provocations at sea are the root cause of the tensions. The Philippines needs to stop these activities at once and must not challenge China’s firm resolve to safeguard our lawful rights and interests,” Li further said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;PROPAGANDA&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>But Tarriela warned against propaganda and misleading videos released by China.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/13/pcg-refuses-to-use-water-cannon-as-china-may-justify-next-level-of-aggression-1830">PCG &#x27;refuses&#x27; to use water cannon as China may &#x27;justify&#x27; next level of aggression</a></div><p>“Common sense lang naman. Wina-water cannon nila sa likod, wina-water cannon nila sa harap, tapos lilikuan nila nang ganun, eh talaga namang kung tatama, tatama talaga sa kanila. But again, it was not intentional. It was actually their lies once again, hiding their unlawful and bullying activities in Bajo de Masinloc. What really happened here is that, ‘etong dalawang China Coast Guard vessel na huma-harass kay Datu Piang ang nag-conduct ng dangerous maneuver,” Tarriela said.</p><p>“Ang ni-release lang nila na video is yung China Coast Guard vessel na yung nandoon, without actually showing na yung China Coast Guard na yon, ang lumiko para tamaan siya while the BFAR vessel is subjected to water cannon.”</p><p>Tarriela also underscored that the live fire exercise initially announced by the Chinese Navy did not materialize. </p><p>The aggressive actions employed by the CCG also happened outside of the supposed live fire exercise area. </p><p>For Tarriela, the live fire warning was simply a threat for Filipino fishermen fishing in Scarborough Shoal.</p><p>Ten BFAR vessels, escorted by two PCG vessels, were conducting a “Kadiwa para sa Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda” humanitarian mission at Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc when the incident with the Chinese vessels happened. </p><p>Tarriela noted that 4 of the BFAR vessels, including BRP Datu Gumbay Piang, just came from a deployment in Pag-asa Island and only joined the mission to assist in the distribution of fuel subsidies and ice to roughly 800 Filipino fishermen, aboard 40 fishing vessels. </p><p>A civiilian vessel, the MV Mamalakaya, was also on-site to purchase their fish catch.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eeKAQ_B_ixk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The PCG on Wednesday shared the timeline and details of the recent clash between China and Philippine vessels in the Scarborough shoal.</p>

The PCG on Wednesday shared the timeline and details of the recent clash between China and Philippine vessels in the Scarborough shoal.

China issued 'live fire exercise warning' before clash at Scarborough: PCG

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China issued 'live fire exercise warning' before clash at Scarborough: PCG

Zen Hernandez,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 17, 2025 04:19 PM PHT

Read More:

West Philippine Sea

People’s Liberation Army

China Coast Guard

Philippine Coast Guard

Bajo de Masinloc

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