China Coast Guard harassed PH ships anew, says PCG official

This photo was sourced from the post of PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela on social media platform X on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Tarriela wrote on X that the China Coast Guard (CCG) has again harassed Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea on April 4.

MANILA, Philippines — The China Coast Guard (CCG) has again harassed Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) official said Saturday.

The incident happened on Thursday, April 4, in the vicinity of Rozul Reef, which is located within the West Philippine Sea, PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela revealed on X (formerly Twitter).

He said two CCG ships harassed Filipino fishermen supporting PCG and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels on a mission to drop floating aggregate devices in the area.

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“While the Philippine Coast Guard vessel and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources were dropping floating aggregate device (payao) in the vicinity of Rozul Reef, the two Chinese Coast Guard vessels (21551 and 21556) who were the usual interdictors in the resupply operation in Ayungin Shoal arrived and started harassing the Filipino Fishing Boats who were voluntarily supporting the PCG-BFAR operation last 04 April,” Tarriela narrated on X.

He added that the CCG vessels showed “unlawful behavior” during the incident.

“The Chinese Coast Guard vessels went as far as pretending to man their water cannons and threatening the Filipino fishermen, demonstrating China’s unlawful behavior aimed at depriving the Filipinos of their rights to access the resources in our Exclusive Economic Zone,” Tarriela said.

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Tarriela condemned the actions of the CCG which, he said, stems from Beijing’s “greed and unfounded claim” that the territory belongs to them.

“This aggressive action stems from China’s greed and unfounded claim that these waters belong to them based on their imaginary dashed line,” he said.

Rozul Reef, which is around 128 nautical miles from Palawan, is part of the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone.