MANILA – The Philippines will lodge a fresh diplomatic protest against China after a Chinese Coast Guard ship’s high-speed pursuit of a Filipino civilian vessel near Scarborough Shoal ended in a collision between two Chinese ships, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
DFA Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Theresa Lazaro confirmed that the protest will be filed over the “dangerous maneuvers” that forced the Filipino vessel to evade, triggering the crash between China Coast Guard ship 3104 and People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ship 164. The PLAN vessel sustained heavy damage.
“We will be in the process of doing so but, but for this time, it will be the statement that we have released today,” Lazaro said, adding that the DFA is handling the matter “carefully” while keeping diplomatic channels open.
“This is a situation whereby we have to be more careful and we still go back to the process whereby diplomatic dialogue and discussions will be best for the situation,” she said.
Lazaro noted that the Philippines’ statement cited two key maritime conventions — the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) and the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) — “which I think is the dominating convention that should be employed by both sides.”
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., meanwhile, rejected Beijing’s attempt to pin the blame on Manila.
“They can say what they want. But I mean, who’s more credible at the end of the day?” he said. “I’m already tired of contradicting and I don’t want to answer a blatant lie and glorify it. And everybody knows the truth, really. Why will we pick a fight?”
The incident occurred Monday morning when BRP Suluan was chased at high speed by CCG ship 3104 off Bajo de Masinloc.
The pursuit ended when the Chinese Coast Guard vessel slammed into PLAN ship 164. The Philippine Coast Guard said it immediately offered medical aid and towing assistance to the damaged Chinese warship./PN
