Was Chinese water cannon attack aiming at PH flag?

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 cannons of 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. (Photo by handout from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) via Agence France-Presse)

SAN NARCISO, Zambales, Philippnes — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday said it will “investigate” if China’s latest water cannon attack was aimed at the Philippine flag hoisted by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on its vessel.

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III has amplified the international condemnation of China’s aggression on April 30, calling it “irresponsible behavior” during a news conference in Hawaii together with his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday.

Videos of the harassment taken by the PCG and GMA News showed a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel aiming its jet of water at the Philippine flag hoisted on the PCG vessel BRP Bagacay.

The CCG also attacked the Bagacay’s accompanying vessel, BRP Bankaw of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and damaged its air-conditioning, electrical, navigation and radio systems.

“I think we have to investigate [if the Bagacay’s flag was targeted]. It’s difficult to actually already say that it should be protested,” the DFA’s spokesperson, Undersecretary Ma. Teresita Daza, told reporters on the sidelines of a workshop on national security in this municipality.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, the PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, also told reporters here that it was possible the water cannons were targeting the flag, besides the communication and navigation systems of the PCG and BFAR vessels.

Tarriela earlier described as “very fatal” the pressure from the water cannons which damaged a steel railing and canopy frame on the PCG ship.

“So on the question of whether the flag is really being intentionally targeted by the People’s Republic of China, we can probably say that it could be possible, but the objective of the water cannon[ade] is for them to terminate the mobility of the Coast Guard vessel and BFAR,” Tarriela said.

“[But] definitely, for viewers, for ordinary people who can see that our flag has been targeted by water cannons, this is really very painful for us as Filipinos,” he added.

‘Next action’

Daza said the DFA would study the reports to be submitted by the PCG and the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea to determine its next action.

The Philippine government on Thursday protested the water cannon attacks and demanded that China “immediately” leave Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

“The protest is important that it is done, because the protest signifies our position, tells them that we are not happy with what’s happening in the waters. It has both political and diplomatic importance and it’s a legal document,” Daza said.

Tuesday’s incident happened amid the Philippines’ ongoing “Balikatan” exercises with the United States and other allies.

The joint drills, which the Armed Forces of the Philippines has described as the most “expansive” yet, began on April 22 and ends on May 10.

‘Political decision’

In his remarks in Honolulu, Austin said: “We’ve been very clear to everyone, to include Beijing, that the kind of behavior that we’ve seen, where Filipino crews are put in danger, … sailors have been injured and property damaged, that is irresponsible behavior.”

Austin reiterated US support for the Philippines under their 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)—which binds the two countries to defend each other in the event of attack, including in the South China Sea.

“Our commitment to the treaty is ironclad and we stand with the Philippines,” Austin said.Teodoro refused to speculate about the conditions in which Manila might invoke the treaty, saying that would be a “political decision.”

President Marcos said last month that any further incident in the West Philippine Sea in which “a Filipino serviceman is killed” will be enough reason to invoke the MDT.

Teodoro said on Thursday “We need to assert our rights but in a manner that safeguards the safety of each and every member of the Philippines’ armed force.”

—WITH A REPORT FROM REUTERS