MANILA, Philippines – In the pitch-black darkness of the West Philippine Sea, personnel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) brought supplies to Filipino fisherfolk in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc late Tuesday, April 30.

Resupply and assistance activities went on until evening on Tuesday and will resume on Wednesday, May 1. The BFAR aims to bring supplies to at least 10 fishing motherboats.

The Philippines earlier vowed it would “not be deterred from pursuing legitimate and lawful activities” in its maritime zones, including Bajo de Masinloc, after China harassed both the BFAR and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships en route to the shoal.

Just hours before the late-night resupply mission for fishermen, both the BFAR’s BRP Bankaw and the PCG’s Bagacay were subjected to the China Coast Guard’s (CCG) water cannons. Both ships reported damage as a result of China’s actions.

“Today is a sad day for Filipino fishermen. That China would go to great lengths to obstruct a Philippine humanitarian mission to assist our fishermen in their fishing grounds is not only shocking but appalling,” said National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) in a statement.

The two ships are in the vicinity of the shoal both to patrol the area and to bring supplies to Filipino fisherfolk.

Bajo de Masinloc, also called Panatag or Scarborough Shoal, is the traditional fishing ground of fisherfolk from different countries including the Philippines, China, and Vietnam.

Yet the CCG regularly places a floating barrier to cover the mouth of the shoal, making it impossible for Filipino fisherfolk to access the safe and bountiful waters of its lagoon.

“These latest demonstrations of China’s illegal and irresponsible behavior highlight their egregious disregard for the Philippines’ lawful exercise of its rights and entitlements in our own EEZ. Clearly, China has no regard for the welfare of our fishermen who only want to make a decent living in the WPS,” said the NTF-WPS.

According to the NTF-WPS, the BFAR ship suffered damage on its HVAC, electrical, navigation, and radio systems, on top of superficial hull damage after being subjected to China’s “high-pressure water [cannons]” at least eight times. The Bankaw was also rammed by both CCG and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels three times.

The BRP Bagacay, meanwhile, incurred damage in parts of its superstructure.

China has called the water cannon damage “necessary measures to expel them in accordance with the law.” Several foreign countries disagree, calling Beijing out for violating international law and for actions that “risk safety and undermine regional stability.”

Filipino fisherfolk are among the poorest in the Philippines. Trips out to the West Philippine Sea are costly but could reap high rewards – so long as they are able to access resource-rich areas like Bajo de Masinloc.

The shoal is just over 120 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales, which means it is well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

But Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, including features and areas where the Philippines has sovereign rights. China has refused to acknowledge a 2016 Arbitral Ruling that deemed its South China Sea claim invalid. – Rappler.com