Philippines vessel avoids crash with China warship

MANILA, Philippines — Two military vessels of the Philippine Navy and the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) figured in a near-collision in waters near Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Wednesday.

In a report before the weekend, the Western Command (WESCOM) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines said the incident happened because of the hazardous actions of the Chinese vessel.

This was just three weeks after a PLAN warship also scanned and directed its fire control radar at a Philippine Navy frigate patrolling the WPS near Escoda (Sabina) Shoal.

Col. Nep Padua, WESCOM public affairs office chief, said the BRP Benguet “successfully avoided a potential collision following a dangerous maneuver by a PLA Navy 532 missile frigate during a routine maritime operation near Pag-asa Island on March 25, 2026.”

While conducting lawful operations, he said the Philippine Navy vessel encountered the Chinese warship, “which executed an unsafe and unprofessional maneuver by closing in and passing at a dangerously close distance.”

“Such dangerous maneuvers are provocative and constitute a clear violation of the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea,” Padua said.

Despite the situation, he said the measured and decisive actions of the Benguet effectively prevented escalation while ensuring the safety of all personnel on board.

“WESCOM will perform its lawful maritime operations with professionalism and resolve in exercising the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Earlier on March 7, the Philippine Navy reported that the BRP Miguel Malvar was conducting a maritime and sovereignty patrol inside the country’s exclusive economic zone when it monitored and identified a Chinese warship with bow number 622 which was identified to be a Jiangkai class corvette.

Allegedly, the Chinese military vessel “approached and later directed its fire control radar toward the Philippine Navy ship.”

“This was an alarming and provocative action that created unnecessary risk and could have led to misinterpretation and misunderstanding at sea,” Philippine Navy spokesman for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said.

The Miguel Malvar immediately issued a radio challenge, in accordance with standard procedures, and “directed the foreign vessel to cease such unprofessional and dangerous behavior.”

Trinidad said the PLAN warship “eventually stowed its fire control radar, indicating that it heeded the radio challenge and backed down from that particular action.”

COC talks

Despite its current focus on oil and food supply as well as migrant workers’ concerns, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) gave assurance yesterday that talks on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea would continue.

Such important matters, the DFA noted, would be discussed during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit to be held in Cebu in May.

“While we are putting more focus on the most important issues, we continue to work on other areas important to the country and the region,” the DFA said.