PH summons Chinese envoy over latest water cannon attack

This frame grab from handout video footage taken and released on April 30, 2024 by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Bagacay (C) being hit by water cannon from Chinese coast guard vessels near the Chinese-controlled Scarborough shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea. The Philippines said the China Coast Guard fired water cannon on April 30 at two of its vessels, causing damage to one of them, during a patrol near a reef off the Southeast Asian country. Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines was up in arms when China used water cannons anew against Filipino vessels in the Scarborough Shoal.

On Thursday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it summoned Chinese Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Zhou Zhiyong over China’s harassment of Philippine vessels conducting a routine and regular humanitarian mission to Bajo de Masinloc on April 30.

READ: China water cannons 2 PH vessels in Scarborough Shoal anew 

“The Philippines protested the harassment, ramming, swarming, shadowing and blocking, dangerous maneuvers, use of water cannons, and other aggressive actions of China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels against the vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) enroute to Bajo de Masinloc,” said DFA Spokesperson Teresita Daza in a statement.

“China’s aggressive actions, particularly its water cannon use, caused damage to vessels of PCG and BFAR,” she added. According to Daza, the Philippines demanded that Chinese vessels leave Bajo de Masinloc and its vicinity immediately.

READ: China used ‘very fatal’ water cannon pressure in latest assault—PCG

Apart from firing water cannons, PCG earlier said China also installed a 380-meter floating barrier covering the entrance of Scarborough Shoal.