The China Coast Guard (CCG) has been issuing radio warnings to Filipino fishermen in Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal, asserting its unilateral claim over a so-called “nature reserve” there, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Monday.
The PCG documented such radio challenges when its patrol ships, together with Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels, were conducting humanitarian missions for fishermen in Panatag Shoal.
“For the first time, the PCG documented a CCG radio challenge claiming that the presence of Philippine fishing boats could damage their so-called ‘environmental reserve,” West Philippine Sea spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a statement.
“In response, the PCG firmly asserted that Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of the Philippine archipelago, and only the Philippine government holds the authority to designate environmental protection areas in these waters,” he added.
Aside from China’s novel declaration, Panatag Shoal also saw the presence of 11 CCG ships and 11 Chinese maritime militia vessels, one People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) helicopter, and three PLA-N vessels.
The Chinese flotilla, the PCG said, tried to delay the humanitarian operations of PCG’s BRP Teresa Magbanua and BRP Cape San Agustin, as well as the M/V Mamalakaya and six BFAR patrol boats.
Despite this, PCG and BFAR managed to send aid to 50 fishing boats in the Panatag Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, as part of their “Kadiwa” aid distribution mission.
