The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday carried out its first relief distribution near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, since the August collision involving Chinese vessels.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said its 97-meter BRP Teresa Magbanua and the 44-meter BRP Cape San Agustin were deployed off Panatag Shoal to oversee the aid distribution as part of “Kadiwa sa Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda” initiative.
An additional six Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels were also deployed off the shoal to facilitate the distribution of essential supplies, according to Tarriela.
He said the PCG and BFAR successfully delivered over 50,000 liters of fuel to approximately 55 Filipino fishing boats.
The operation took place amid an increased Chinese maritime presence, with seven China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels and 10 Chinese maritime militia ships off Panatag Shoal, according to the official.
The People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) vessel 568 issued warnings from a distance regarding a live-fire exercise in the area.
“Despite the intimidation tactics, the PCG and BFAR teams continued their mission,” Tarriela said.
This mission came after the August 11 incident during the same “Kadiwa” aid distribution activity.
The 80-meter CCG ship with hull number 3104 chased PCG’s 44.5-meter BRP Suluan and performed a risky maneuver on it, leading to its collision with the 157-meter PLA-N warship with hull number 164.
Both Chinese ships suffered damage, with CCG-3104’s forecastle being crushed, while BRP Suluan managed to evade the maneuver.
Almost a month after the collision, Beijing announced its plans to establish a so-called “national nature reserve” at Panatag Shoal.
Since its effective takeover in 2012, China has enforced what experts call “exclusion zone enforcement” around the Panatag Shoal, outright flouting the 2016 Arbitral Award, which declared the area a traditional fishing ground for the Philippines, China, and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, the PCG also deployed its 97-meter MRRV BRP Melchora Aquino and a 44-meter vessel BRP Cabra while BFAR also sent five ships to Escoda (Sabina) Shoal to conduct a similar maritime mission.
Escoda Shoal saw eight CCG vessels accompanied by nine militia ships, with a PLA-N helicopter conducting low-altitude monitoring flights, which Tarriela said in a “further attempt to intimidate the fishermen.”
Despite this, authorities provided 48,000 liters of fuel to over 35 boats off Escoda Shoal.
From being a mere rendezvous point on regular resupply missions in a nearby military outpost at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, the Escoda Shoal emerged as one of the flashpoints of tensions in the West Philippine Sea last year.
BRP Teresa Magbanua was deployed for more than five months off Escoda Shoal, becoming the longest-deployed PCG asset in the West Philippine Sea, following suspected coral dumping activities there.
The 97-meter multi-role response vessel returned to Puerto Princesa port in September 2024 with four dehydrated crew who subsisted on rice porridge and rainwater for weeks as CCG thwarted the arrival of their supplies.
