Navy units on Pag-asa Island 'alerted' amid harassment incident
Philippine News Agency
By Priam Nepomuceno
October 14, 2025, 6:12 pm
MANILA -- A ranking Philippine Navy (PN) official on Tuesday said naval units on Pag-asa Island were "alerted" over the weekend following the ramming of a Philippine vessel by Chinese maritime forces.
"They were alerted should the situation escalate, but after a few minutes the situation deescalated," PN spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Before the ramming incident on Sunday, the China Coast Guard vessel used a water cannon against BRP Pagbuaya, which belongs to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
The Philippine vessel was anchored at the territorial waters of Pag-asa Island as part of government efforts to protect Filipino fishermen in the area.
Trinidad said there were military staff and naval assets on Pag-asa Island at the time of the incident, which took place some 1.6 to 1.8 nautical miles away from the area.
"We have contingency plans for almost any eventuality," Trinidad said when asked for PN's possible actions should Chinese ships move closer to the island following Sunday's incident.
"We don't go into the details of these plans but everything has been factored in and we could respond appropriately," he added. (PNA)
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