MANILA, Philippines — The China Coast Guard’s (CCG) “intentional ramming” of a Philippine fisheries vessel just 100 kilometers off Palawan on Friday was the closest such incident to the Philippine coast on record, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
The Chinese craft CCG-21585 struck the starboard side of the BRP Datu Magat Salamat, a vessel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) which was on its way to deliver fuel to Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea around 11:13 a.m., the PCG said.
“Based on our record, this is the closest ever that China Coast Guard did this intentional ramming and disregarded the safety of our personnel,” Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela, the PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, told reporters.
READ: Tarriela says Chinese coast guard ‘intentionally’ rams BFAR vessel
The incident occurred about 100 kilometers from the coast of Palawan. “That’s how close that is,” Tarriela said in an interview via Zoom.
As in similar incidents in the past, China disputed the Philippine account of the incident and blamed the BFAR vessel for the collision, saying the latter deliberately changed course and accelerated across the path of the Chinese ship.
There were no reported injuries among the personnel on both vessels, Tarriela said.
But the BRP Datu Magat Salamat sustained damage to its railings, deck, stanchions and other structures on its starboard side, forcing it to cut short its fuel distribution mission.
Still carrying the undelivered fuel, it headed back to Coron, Palawan, to be checked for seaworthiness. It was to be met by the PCG ship BRP Malabrigo in the Kalayaan Island Group before being escorted to port, he said.
‘Intentional ramming’
According to the PCG, CCG-21585 first cut across the stern of BRP Datu Magat Salamat around 11:04 a.m., coming within about 10 meters of the Philippine vessel.
Nine minutes later, as the BFAR vessel maintained its course, the Chinese ship repeated the maneuver and struck its starboard side, the PCG said.
Rejecting China’s description of the incident, Tarriela said: “It was not a collision, it was an intentional ramming.”
READ: Palawan, KIG stations budget cuts to ‘impact activities in WPS’ — PCG
The impact bent, broke or detached portions of the vessel’s railings and damaged metal stanchions and other structures. He said some pipes beneath the deck were also damaged.
The PCG said CCG-21585 continued making close maneuvers after the hit, at one point passing just about 5 meters behind the BFAR vessel.
The Chinese vessel finally moved away after BRP Datu Magat Salamat contacted the PCG for assistance.
The incident occurred about 11.8 km north-northwest of Abad Santos (Bombay) Shoal, according to the PCG.
Over the past few weeks, BFAR had vessels deployed to the Kalayaan Island Group to deliver fuel and food to Filipino fishermen caught in bad weather, and also as part of the fuel subsidy program to help them cope with rising oil prices, Tarriela said.
China blames PH
China gave a different account and placed responsibility for the collision on the Philippine vessel.
CCG spokesperson Jiang Lue said the Philippine vessel ignored repeated warnings before it “deliberately altered its course and suddenly accelerated,” cutting across the bow of the Chinese ship.
Jiang said the Chinese vessel was carrying out what Beijing described as “rights-protection and law-enforcement operations” near Xianbin Jiao, China’s name for Escoda Shoal, also known internationally as Sabina Shoal.
He maintained that the Chinese vessel operated in a “professional and standardized manner” and that responsibility for the collision rested entirely with the Philippine side.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) rejected China’s account and condemned the CCG’s “dangerous actions.”
The task force called on China to stop “dangerous and unlawful actions that endanger lives at sea” and said Philippine government missions in the West Philippine Sea would continue.
“We remain resolute in protecting the rights and welfare of our fisherfolk and ensuring that lawful government missions in the West Philippine Sea continue without intimidation or coercion,” the NTF-WPS said in a statement.
It said the Chinese vessel’s actions violated the 1972 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling.
Tarriela also cited the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
He said the PCG would report the incident to the NTF-WPS, which includes the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Grounded a day earlier
Friday’s incident happened a day after the same BFAR vessel ran aground at Hasa-Hasa (Half Moon) Shoal while delivering fuel to Filipino fishermen.
During efforts to tow the vessel, the PCG said, a CCG plane conducted “apparent aerial surveillance” over the site, Tarriela said.
In Manila, Stratbase Institute, a think tank focusing on the WPS issue, said China’s actions in Friday’s incident “should not be normalized.”
“Civilian vessels providing support to Filipino fisherfolk should never be treated as targets of coercion and intimidation,” Stratbase president Dindo Manhit said in a statement.
He urged the government and its partners to intensify diplomatic, legal and maritime cooperation to deter similar actions.
Previous encounters
Friday’s incident was the first reported collision between Chinese and Philippine government vessels in the West Philippine Sea this year.
It followed confrontations in July in which CCG vessels used water cannons and carried out close maneuvers against Philippine vessels near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.
On July 24, the PCG said a Chinese vessel came within about 7 meters of BFAR’s BRP Datu Paduhinog after repeatedly using its water cannon against it. The maneuver posed a risk of collision, but no contact was reported.
A day earlier, a CCG vessel fired its water cannon at BRP Datu Dumangsil during another fuel subsidy mission near Panatag.
The previous reported ramming of a Philippine government vessel by the CCG occurred in October 2025 near Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, when the PCG said CCG vessel 21559 fired a water cannon at BFAR’s BRP Datu Pagbuaya before ramming its stern. The vessel sustained minor damage, but no crew members were injured.
In May 2025, the PCG also accused a CCG vessel of sideswiping BRP Datu Sanday twice and using a water cannon against it near Pag-asa Island.
Separate Panatag mission
In a separate operation Thursday, the PCG conducted an aerial patrol over Bajo de Masinloc, or Panatag Shoal, while another BFAR vessel distributed fuel and food packs to Filipino fishermen.
The PCG said 35 Filipino fishing boats were gathered around BFAR’s MV Mamalakaya.
The PCG also monitored three CCG vessels, one People’s Liberation Army Navy warship and three Chinese maritime militia vessels in the area.
According to the PCG, the Chinese warship issued a radio challenge to the Coast Guard aircraft, which responded that it was conducting a lawful maritime patrol and continued its flight.
Panatag is a traditional fishing ground off Zambales and has been a recurring flashpoint between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea.
Beijing claims sovereignty over islands and maritime rights across nearly the entire South China Sea, including areas within the West Philippine Sea.
In 2016, an arbitral tribunal ruled that there was no legal basis for China’s claim to historic rights to resources within sea areas falling inside its so-called nine-dash line.
The tribunal also found that Filipino, Chinese and other fishermen had traditional fishing rights at Panatag and that China had unlawfully prevented Filipino fishermen from exercising those rights.
China has rejected the ruling and maintains that it is “null and void.” /das
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