Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. described the collision between a China Coast Guard vessel and a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ship in the West Philippine Sea as an unacceptable violation of international law.
The incident happened Sept. 18 near Abad Santos Shoal, about 54 nautical miles from Palawan and within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Teodoro said the incident could be considered a criminal act if BFAR personnel had been injured. No one was hurt, but the BRP Datu Magat Salamat sustained significant damage.
The defense secretary said the Department of National Defense is preparing measures to address the incident and would not let it pass without a response.
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton also condemned the incident, describing it as deliberate ramming.
The Chinese Embassy rejected the characterization. It said the BFAR vessel ignored warnings from the China Coast Guard and deliberately changed direction before the collision.
Meanwhile, Teodoro said the security cluster is preparing a response plan that will be presented to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regarding the incident.
The collision has prompted conflicting accounts from Philippine and Chinese officials over what led to the encounter near Abad Santos Shoal.
