The Philippine government said Monday two of its coast guard ships were damaged in collisions with Chinese vessels that were conducting “unlawful and aggressive maneuvers” near a disputed reef in the West Philippine Sea.
The Chinese coast guard vessels’ actions near Escoda (Sabina) Shoal before dawn on Monday “resulted in collisions causing structural damage to both Philippine Coast Guard vessels,” Manila’s National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said in a statement.
China claims most of the South China Sea including Escoda Shoal, located 140 kilometers (86 miles) west of the Philippine island of Palawan, the closest major land mass.
Manila and Beijing have stationed coast guard vessels around the shoal in recent months, with the Philippines fearing China is about to build an artificial island there.
Jonathan Malaya, assistant director-general for the Philippine government’s National Security Council, said the BRP Cape Engano sustained a 13-centimeter (five-inch) hole in its right beam after the “aggressive maneuvers” by a China Coast Guard vessel led to a collision at 3:24 am (1924 GMT Sunday).
The collision occurred 43 kilometers southeast of Sabina Shoal, he said.
A second Philippine coast guard ship, the BRP Bagacay, was “rammed twice” on both sides by a China coast guard vessel at 3:40 am and suffered “minor structural damage”, Malaya said, reading from a statement.
The second collision occurred 39 kilometers northwest of Sabina, he added.
The Filipino crew were unhurt and proceeded with their mission to resupply Philippine-garrisoned islands in the Spratly group, Malaya said.
