MANILA, Philippines: A Chinese coast guard ship twice hit a Philippine coast guard vessel with a “military-grade laser light” that caused temporarily blinded some of its Filipino crew in the disputed South China Sea, the Philippine coast guard said Monday (Feb 13), calling the act a “blatant” violation of Manila’s sovereign rights.
The Chinese coast guard ship also manoeuvred dangerously close, about 137 meters, to block the Philippine coast guard’s BRP Malapascua patrol vessel from approaching the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal on Feb 6, the Philippine coast guard said in a statement.
The Philippines has filed nearly 200 diplomatic protests against China’s aggressive actions in the disputed waters in 2022 alone.
Although the Chinese coast guard had tried to block Philippine coast guard ships in the disputed waters before, this was the first time it used a laser light and caused physical suffering among Filipino coast guard personnel, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo told The Associated Press.
There was no immediate comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
“The Chinese ship illuminated the green laser light twice toward the BRP Malapascua, causing temporary blindness to her crew at the bridge,” the Philippine coast guard said. “The Chinese vessel also made dangerous manoeuvres by approaching about 150 yards from the vessel’s starboard quarter.”
The Chinese coast guard’s aggressive actions forced the BRP Malapascua to veer away from the offshore area, where it was escorting a Philippine supply vessel that was delivering food and Filipino sailors to a Philippine navy sentry ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, which has long been marooned on Second Thomas shoal, the coast guard said.
“The deliberate blocking of the Philippine government ships to deliver food and supplies to our military personnel on board the BRP Sierra Madre is a blatant disregard for, and a clear violation of, Philippine sovereign rights in this part of the West Philippine Sea,” the coast guard said, using the name the Philippines has adopted for the stretch of waters close to its western coast.