BFAR vessel hit by China Coast Guard ship

MANILA, Philippines — A China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel “intentionally rammed” a ship of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) about 54 nautical miles off the coast of Palawan on Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said the CCG vessel struck the BRP Datu Magat Salamat at around 11 a.m. while the Philippine vessel was conducting a fisherfolk assistance mission.

“It was not a collision. It was an intentional ramming done by the CCG-21585,” Tarriela said.

Tarriela said the BFAR vessel was carrying out a mission to provide fuel subsidies and food packs to Filipino fishermen in the Kalayaan Island Group following weeks of monsoon rains.

“The objective of the BFAR deployment is purely humanitarian. It is not conducting operations that provoked anybody or any state,” he said.

The contact damaged the main railings on the starboard side, metal stanchions and support structures as well as deck fixtures and equipment. No injuries were reported.

“Even after the collision, CCG-21585 conducted yet another dangerous maneuver, passing dead astern at a distance of only about five meters,” Tarriela said.

“This kind of behavior of the Chinese government is an outright violation of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention and the collision regulations,” Tarriela added.

The Chinese embassy, however, disputed the Philippine account, saying the incident was a collision caused by the BRP Datu Magat Salamat after it ignored warnings from the CCG vessel and accelerated after altering its course.

The BRP Datu Magat Salamat was refloated Thursday after running aground at Hasa-Hasa Shoal during its operations.

Tarriela said it would be docked at Coron Port for an assessment of its seaworthiness.

He said the CCG’s 215 series consists of smaller, faster and more agile vessels capable of intercepting ships in the West Philippine Sea.

The decision on whether to file a diplomatic protest will be left to the Department of Foreign Affairs, while the PCG would continue supporting the remaining BFAR vessels in their supply missions to Filipino fisherfolk.