MANILA (Reuters) -A Philippine coastguard official on Sunday accused China of firing water cannons and ramming its resupply vessels in the South China Sea, causing “serious engine damage” to one vessel.
Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela named the vessels as
Unaizah Mae 1 and M/L Kalayaan.
“M/L Kalayaan suffered serious engine damage. Contrary to China Coast Guard disinformation, UM1 rammed by CCG vessel,” Tarriela said on social media platform X.
The incident was the second ramming between Philippine and Chinese ships since October in the vicinity of Second Thomas Shoal, an uninhabited shoal within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone where Filipino soldiers are living aboard an aging warship that was deliberately ran aground in 1999 to protect Manila’s claims in the disputed waterway.
There was no immediate comment from Chinese officials.
On Saturday, the Philippines also condemned China’s illegal and aggressive actions” after its coast guard fired water cannon at a civilian government vessel of the Philippines’ fisheries bureau.
The collision comes as a Christmas convoy of around 40 Philippine vessels began sailing Sunday to the disputed shoal.
Over 200 fishermen, youth leaders and civil society groups have joined the mission organized by the Atin Ito (This is ours) campaign network, a civilian-led advocacy to assert the Philippines’ rights in the South China Sea.
(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by William Mallard and Miral Fahmy)
