PCG exec: China violates law anew in Zambales water cannoning
Philippine News Agency
By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora
June 21, 2025, 6:18 pm
MANILA -- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday rebuked the China Coast Guard (CCG) for accusing Manila of violating its so-called sovereignty in the South China Sea to justify its water cannoning of two local vessels off Zambales.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) deployed four ships to supply fuel and goods to Filipinos fishing near the Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal on Friday.
Two of the BFAR vessels, BRP Datu Tamblot and BRP Datu Taradapit, were water cannoned by CCG vessels 4203 and 3105, some 15.6 nautical miles (NM) and 18.1 NM off the feature.
"I would like to inform you that this is outside the territorial sea of Bajo de Masinloc and this falls within our own exclusive economic zone," Tarriela said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City. "Basically, it's only around 106 to 110 nautical miles from the coastline of Zambales."
He stressed that Filipinos have the sovereign right to exploit all the resources within these waters, more so fish.
"I don't know the law that gives the authority for the Chinese government to claim sovereignty over these waters," he said.
"As far as the Philippine government is concerned, our behavior and our deployment of BFAR and Coast Guard personnel in these waters is in alignment with the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the 2016 Arbitral Award," he said.
The deployment of BFAR vessels was in line with the Marcos administration's vision to promote food security by protecting the rights and safety of Filipino fishers in the West Philippine Sea.
Tarriela said the BFAR mission will resume with the distribution of goods to fishing communities.
"As we speak right now, the BFAR vessels are already on their way to Sual, Pangasinan and some areas in the West Philippine Sea," he said. (PNA)
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