FOREVER YOUNG ---(UPDATE 3—5:03 p.m) Two Chinese Coast Guard vessels have blocked a Philippine Navy ship twice while it was en route to bring supplies and troops to the Ayungin Shoal, an area disputed by Manila and Beijing. At around one p.m. on Saturday afternoon, two “large white ships”—later identified as belonging to the Chinese Coast Guard—have blocked the front and rear of the Philippine Navy vessel while heading for its destination, ABS-CBN News correspondent Chiara Zambrano told ANC in an interview three hours after the incident. After the first of the two Chinese vessels went to the rear of the Philippine ship, the second—which was the faster one—“pulled up and blocked the [Philippine ship’s] front path,” said Zambrano, who is one of the media representatives onboard the boat. When the Philippine ship’s path was blocked for the first time, the Chinese vessel in front was about 200 yards away, Zambrano said. But when the Chinese vessel crossed their path the second time around, it was “about 50 yards away,” Zambrano said. “We could see the people onboard [the Chinese ship] who were all waving at us to go away.” As the Philippine ship proceeded to the Ayungin Shoal—which is part of the Spratlys Islands that is being claimed by the Philippines, China, and several countries—it received four radio transmissions from China. We were told that it was Chinese territory, Zambrano said. We were told that “we needed to leave because [what we were doing] was an illegal act,” Zambrano added. The incident took place a day before the Philippines is set to file a written pleading at the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Itlos). Manilas pleading will subject Beijing to global legal scrutiny over the territorial dispute. The Philippine ship was on the last leg of its 35-hour trip from Palawan when the incident took place. It was the first time the Philippine Navy agreed to bring media representatives along. The move “is a sign of hostility. Once a vessel crosses your path, it is harassment,” Zambrano said during the interview, citing the Philippine Navy ships captain. Despite these incidents, the Philippine ship was able to bring fresh supplies to the troops on the BRP Sierra Madre, a US-made vessel that was deliberately ran aground the Ayungin Reef in 1999 to serve as the country’s outpost in the area. The Navy vessel also brought a fresh set of troops to relieve the current crew onboard the Sierra Madre. A third Chinese ship is currently within “the Ayungin Shoal and the Mischief Reef,” Zambrano said. Earlier, the Philippines has twice attempted to bring supplies and troops to the BRP Sierra Madre. The Philippine military even conducted an airdrop but supplies only had a 70 percent chance of being retrieved.... [DRDM]
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 11:24:32 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015