MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) encountered a series of alleged aggressive actions by Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels during a routine maritime patrol early Wednesday morning, in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), an area well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
The patrol, aimed at supporting Filipino fishermen, took a tense turn at approximately 6:30 a.m. when CCG vessel 3302 fired water cannons at the PCG’s BRP Datu Pagbuaya (MMOV 3003). The assault targeted the vessel’s navigational antennas while it was positioned 16 nautical miles south of Bajo de Masinloc.
