PCG: China actions led to collision during latest Ayungin resupply mission

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday said its BRP Sindangan collided with a China coast guard (CCG) vessel during a resupply mission to the grounded ship BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

“Throughout the operation, the PCG vessels faced dangerous maneuvers and blocking from Chinese Coast Guard vessels and Chinese Maritime Militia,” PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said on X (formerly Twitter).

“Their reckless and illegal actions led to a collision between MRRV-4407 and China Coast Guard 21555 that resulted to minor structural damage to the PCG vessel,” he added.

The CCG, meanwhile, said it took control measures against Philippine vessels that illegally intruded into waters adjacent to the Second Thomas Shoal, which is a disputed atoll in the South China Sea.

Ayungin Shoal is also called Second Thomas Shoal.

A spokesperson for the China Coast Guard issued a statement on what it called the “illegal invasion of Scarborough Shoal by the Philippines,” without releasing further details.

The CCG statement said the incident happened near waters adjacent to Renai Reef, also known as the Second Thomas Shoal, an area in the South China Sea that has seen numerous run-ins by China’s coast guard and Philippine vessels over the past few months. —with Reuters/KBK, GMA Integrated News