A GROUP of foreign diplomats have called for de-escalation and restraint in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) following an incident on Dec. 12 where three Filipino fishermen were injured by China’s use of water cannons near Escoda (Sabina) Shoal off Palawan.
Meanwhile, Manila filed a diplomatic protest against China on Monday after the harassment and endangerment of Filipino fisherfolk at the Escoda Shoal in the contested WPS.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Dec. 15, Australian ambassador to the Philippines, Marc Innes-Brown, expressed deep concern regarding the Chinese Coast Guard’s aggressive actions.
“Australia is seriously concerned by the Chinese Coast Guard’s aggressive actions against Philippine fishers near Sabina Shoal, which injured civilians and caused damage to vessels. We call for restraint and respect for international law, particularly UNCLOS,” he said.
On the other hand, British ambassador to Manila Sarah Hulton noted that such actions “endanger lives and risk escalation,” emphasizing that the UK also seeks an end to dangerous tactics in the South China Sea (SCS) and urges respect for international law.
The European Union, in a statement on Monday, condemned the recent actions, highlighting that they “threaten the safety of life at sea, cause injury to civilians, and undermine the lawful exercise of maritime rights.”
“The EU calls for de-escalation of tensions and expects China to exercise restraint, refrain from the use of force or coercion, and resolve disputes peacefully, in full respect of international law,” the statement read.
For his part, Japanese envoy to the Philippines, Endo Kazuya, affirmed his country’s commitment to upholding the rule of law, reiterating their opposition to any actions that escalate tensions.
Earlier, ambassadors from the United States, Canada, and Germany also expressed similar concerns, calling on Beijing to uphold the rules-based international order.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro in a message to reporters confirmed that Manila submitted a demarche to the Chinese embassy regarding the latest CCG aggression.
The National Maritime Council (NMC) confirmed that three Filipino fishermen were injured during a water cannon attack by Chinese vessels, but are currently in better condition.
The Philippine Coast Guard said the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese maritime militia (CMM) ships over the weekend attacked the Filipino boats with water cannons and used dangerous blocking maneuvers near Escoda Shoal within the Philippine exclusive economic zone.
The PCG said the three Filipino fishermen had bruises and open wounds, while two boats were damaged by high-pressure water cannon blasts.
Asked about the condition of these injured fishermen, NMC spokesman Alexander Lopez said they are already recovering.
