ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE in WPS Composite image from AFP and PCG file photos
MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese Navy missile boat used a “high intensity” laser three times against a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft conducting a maritime surveillance over the West Philippine Sea, putting the Filipino crew in danger.
The incident took place midday Friday while a BFAR Cessna patrol aircraft spotted a Chinese coast guard vessel with bow No. 21555 and two navy Type 22 Houbei-class missile boats chasing two BFAR vessels (BRP Taradipit and BRP Romapenet) near Hasa-Hasa (Half Moon) Shoal, a feature located just about 111 kilometers (60 nautical miles) off Palawan, according to a brief summary report by BFAR shared with the Inquirer.
Moments later, one of the two Chinese Navy missile boats shone a laser against the BFAR aircraft.
READ: PH Navy calls Chinese choppers’ unsafe moves as unprofessional
Its pilots issued a radio challenge to the Chinese vessel to stop the laser pointing but got no response. One of the Chinese missile boats instead fired laser two more times at about five minutes apart.
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The laser illuminated a “high intensity white light,” causing discomfort to the pilots’ eyes, the report read.
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The latest confrontation occurred a day after the Philippine Navy completed a resupply mission to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal with “no threat” from Chinese vessels operating nearby. Manila and Beijing struck a temporary deal in July to ease tensions there following a series of Chinese harassment against Philippine vessels in the past months.
On Saturday afternoon, a Chinese helicopter also chased and flew close to BFAR’s BRP Datu Romapenet during its resupply mission near Bombay Shoal close to Palawan’s mainland, according to a report by ABS-CBN News.
About an hour after the incident, it reappeared and flew as close as 20 meters from the BFAR ship.
Saturday’s encounter coincided with the Philippines’ biggest “multilateral maritime cooperative activity” yet with allied countries including United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.
Not the first
The Type 22 140-foot missile boats of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy are equipped with missile launchers and capable of top speeds of 38 knots (about 70 km per hour) and are considered to be the Chinese Navy’s new generation stealth missile fast attack craft.
These vessels have been previously monitored operating from Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, a feature within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that Beijing seized in 1995.
Last year, the Philippine Coast Guard accused a Chinese coast guard ship of pointing a “military-grade” laser at one of its vessels while supporting a resupply mission in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.
Over the course of Friday’s patrol, the BFAR aircraft spotted a Chinese coast guard vessel and two navy ships 74 km (40 nautical miles) west of Palawan.
While at Rozul (Iroquois) Reef, there were 24 stationary Chinese maritime militia vessels and a PLA warship with bow No. 576 at the southern portion of the reef.
Increasing aggression
Two BFAR vessels (Datu Pagbuaya and Datu Bangkao) were also observed providing aid to Filipino fishermen in the area despite being outnumbered by Chinese vessels nearby.
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At Panganiban Reef, which is now a massive Chinese military base, there were more than 200 Chinese vessels spotted. —with a report from Inquirer Research
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