Philippines condemns China's actions against fishermen

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has condemned a recent incident at Sabina Shoal as "dangerous" and "inhumane" after Chinese Coast Guard vessels reportedly used water cannons and cut the anchor lines of Filipino fishing boats. The confrontation, which took place last Friday, left three fishermen injured and two vessels damaged. Teodoro emphasized that such aggressive maneuvers against civilians are "wholly inconsistent" with international duties to preserve human life at sea.

A diplomatic row has ensued, with Beijing defending its actions as "reasonable, lawful, professional and restrained" measures to protect its sovereignty, while alleging that the Filipino fishermen had brandished knives. Teodoro dismissed these allegations as "blatant lies" and part of a "state-orchestrated disinformation campaign," prompting the Philippine foreign ministry to issue a formal demarche to the Chinese Embassy.

The incident occurred at Sabina Shoal (known as Escoda Shoal in the Philippines), located 150 km west of Palawan within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This area falls under the overlapping claims in the South China Sea, where Beijing asserts authority over nearly the entire waterway—a claim invalidated by an international arbitral tribunal in 2016 but still enforced by China against neighbors including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

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Source: REUTERS