Philippines Refutes Claim That China Drove Away Its Navy Vessel, Calls It ‘Propaganda’

A Chinese Coast Guard ship patrols Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Oct. 6, 2020. STR/AFP via Getty Images

The Philippines on Tuesday rejected China’s assertion that its navy vessel was forced to leave the South China Sea by the Chinese Coast Guard, labeling it as “propaganda” promoted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

China’s Coast Guard claimed that its ship drove away a Philippine navy gunboat from the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Oct. 10. It accused the Philippine vessel of “intruding” on China’s territorial waters.

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Romeo Brawner dismissed the claim as false, saying that Philippine vessels would not leave the area as it is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) designates maritime areas within 200 nautical miles of coastal nations’ borders as part of their EEZ. Scarborough Shoal is located 124 nautical miles from the Philippines’ Zambales province.

“China’s coast guard was there and made a challenge. But the navy ship proceeded on its course and was not driven away. It was doing its mission: maritime patrol,” Chief Brawner told reporters.

“Our stand remains that it is Chinese propaganda,” he added.

The dispute over Scarborough flared recently after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it removed a floating barrier installed by the Chinese Coast Guard at the mouth of the shoal to prevent Filipinos from entering.

Undated video footage shows Philippine Coast Guard personnel cutting a rope mooring a Chinese floating barrier near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Screenshot via NTD/Reuters

PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said the barrier posed a hazard to navigation, which is a clear violation of international law, and deprived Filipino fishermen of their livelihood activities at the shoal.

The CCP claims most of the South China Sea, which overlaps with the EEZs of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

The Hague Tribunal ruled in favor of legal action taken by the Philippines in 2016. Still, the ruling didn’t see China’s communist regime change its behavior, with Chinese vessels repeatedly intruding into the Philippines’ maritime zones.

Ramming Incident in South China Sea

Last week, three Filipino fishermen died in the South China Sea after their fishing boat was rammed by an unidentified commercial vessel and capsized.

The PCG said the incident occurred on Oct. 2 while the boat was moored 85 nautical miles northwest of the disputed Scarborough Shoal. Eleven crew members survived when the boat sank.

The origin of the commercial vessel remains unknown. The crew onboard the fishing boat were unable to identify the foreign commercial vessel due to adverse weather conditions and the darkness.

Following the incident, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated on Oct. 4 that an investigation into the incident was ongoing. The Philippine leader has vowed to hold those responsible for the deaths accountable.

“Currently, the Philippine Coast Guard is backtracking and checking all monitored vessels in the area as part of its ongoing investigation,” Mr. Marcos stated on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“We assure the victims, their families, and everyone that we will exert every effort to hold accountable those who are responsible for this unfortunate maritime incident.

“Let us allow the PCG to do its job and investigate, and let us refrain from engaging in speculation in the meantime,” he added.

An initial assessment based on the surviving fishermen’s account and sea traffic at the time of the accident indicated that a crude oil tanker under the flag of the Marshall Islands may have hit the Filipino fishing boat. The PCG said it would try to locate the oil tanker and its crew as part of the investigation.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.