Philippine vessels encountered “aggressive actions” from at least five Chinese ships over at the contested West Philippine Sea on Wednesday. In a statement, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said they were conducting a routine maritime patrol with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) near Bajo de Masinloc to support Filipino fishermen when the aggression happened. “During this operation, our vessels encountered aggressive actions from several Chinese Coast Guard vessels, specifically CCG 5303, 3302, 3104, as well as People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels with bow numbers 500 and 571,” PCG spokesperson on West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela said in a social media post.

Co, A. S. (2024, December 5). PCG: China vessel hits PH ship with water cannon. Panay News, p. 9.