MANILA, Philippines — The National Maritime Council (NMC) strongly condemned the reported intentional ramming of a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ship by a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel off the coast of Palawan, warning that the aggressive maneuver directly threatened the lives of the Filipino crew.
In an official statement released Saturday, September 19, the council raised alarm over the September 18 confrontation between the BRP Datu Magat Salamat (MMOV 3015) and CCG vessel “21585.”
The BFAR vessel was carrying out a state-sponsored fuel distribution mission to assist local fishermen in the area when the incident took place.
Denouncing the CCG ship’s conduct as “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous,” the council emphasized that the deliberate action compromised human safety in the area.
“Safety of life at sea must always come first. All vessels operating in the area are expected to exercise maximum restraint, professional seamanship, and due regard for applicable international maritime safety rules,” the council said.
The NMC endorsed the operational measures taken by the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), including the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and BFAR, to safeguard the mission vessel and its crew.
Reacting to the standoff, defense think tank Stratbase Institute cautioned against allowing hostile acts against non-military vessels to become an accepted norm in the West Philippine Sea.
Stratbase Institute President Victor Andres Manhit asserted that these maneuvers “should not be normalized,” adding that civil ships aiding Filipino fishing communities “should never be treated as targets of coercion and intimidation.”
Manhit encouraged Philippine authorities to strengthen ties with international allies that advocate for maritime order and rule of law in regional waters.
He urged Manila alongside international partners to “intensify diplomatic, legal, and maritime cooperation to deter further coercive actions and uphold a rules-based order at sea.”
“The Philippines must remain firm in protecting the rights, safety, and livelihoods of its fisherfolk while continuously exercising its sovereign rights and jurisdiction in accordance with international law,” Manhit said.
Reaffirming the country’s posture, the NMC emphasized that the Philippines will persistently exercise its jurisdiction and sovereign rights across its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), anchored on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the historic 2016 Arbitral Award that invalidated Beijing’s expansive nine-dash line claim.
“Our seas are part of our national identity and patrimony. We will continue to support our fisherfolk and government personnel who serve the country at sea, and we will remain steadfast in upholding our lawful rights and national interests in our maritime domain with courage, unity and respect for the rule of law,” the NMC said.