"Deliberately grounded on a tiny reef in the #SouthChinaSea, part of an island chain claimed by the two Asian countries, the #BRPSierraMadre is now the unlikely base for a detachment of Filipino marines who stand guard over the atoll, scanning the turquoise waters for Chinese ships." #AyunginShoal#SecondThomasShoal#Philippines
In a statement, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTFWPS) said #ChineseCoastGuard (CCG) ships used water cannons against the vessels of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (#BFAR) namely Datu Sanday, Datu Bankaw, and Datu Tamblot near #BajoDeMasinloc (#Scarborough Shoal). The three BFAR ships are civilian vessels. #Philippines#SouthChinaSea
The Philippine government said on Monday, February 19, that it would “validate and investigate” reports from Filipino #fisherfolk of their foreign counterparts using #cyanide to fish in #BajoDeMasinloc, a shoal that’s supposed to be a shared fishing ground for several nationalities. #Philippines#WestPHSea#SouthChinaSea
It took #BFAR’s vessel up to 2 hours to break free from the blocking Chinese vessels and proceed to the #BajoDeMasinloc to distribute aid to 44 Filipino fishing boats moored there.
The #BRPDatuSanday then anchored 200 meters from the shoreline of Bajo de Masinloc, the nearest it has reached since its rotational deployment. #WestPHSea#Philippines
#MANILA, #Philippines – Shadowing and blocking maneuvers by #China in the #WestPhilippineSea are nothing new for personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (#PCG), nor for Philippine journalists who are practically regulars in missions to those waters as part of the government’s “transparency initiative.” #WestPHSea#ScarboroughShoal
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (#BFAR) reported that a gray helicopter with Chinese markings was seen in the area.
“This is the first time na mayroon tayong nakita na Chinese aircraft patrolling over the airspace of #BajoDeMasinloc in the recent time,” said #PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela. #Philippines#WestPHSea#China
#MANILA, #Philippines – The China Coast Guard on Tuesday, April 30, used water cannons against two Philippine vessels in #BajoDeMasinloc (#ScarboroughShoal), a feature some 100 nautical miles off the coast off the coast Zambales.
The defense chief’s remarks come as three Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannons at two Philippine vessels near #ScarboroughShoal on Tuesday in yet another example of #China’s game plan to counter the #Philippines’ growing assertiveness in the disputed waters. #BajoDeMasinloc#WestPHSea#SouthChinaSea