Zambales: 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.

According to Philippines News Agency, PCG spokesperson Tarriela stated at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City that the incident occurred outside the territorial sea of Bajo de Masinloc and within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. 'Basically, it's only around 106 to 110 nautical miles from the coastline of Zambales,' Tarriela explained, emphasizing that Filipinos have the sovereign right to exploit all resources within these waters, especially fish.

Tarriela questioned the legal basis for China's sovereignty claims over these waters, asserting that the Philippine government's actions align with the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the 2016 Arbitral Award. The deployment of BFAR vessels supports the Marcos administration's vision to enhance food security by safeguarding the rights and safety of Filipino fishers in the West Philippine Sea.

The BFAR mission is set to continue 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,' Tarriela concluded.