MANILA — A Philippine security official on Thursday said the government was "alarmed" by China's use of its People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in a fresh confrontation in the West Philippine Sea, adding that Manila "reserves the right" to deploy a similar warship in the future.

Philippine government civilian vessels conducting support patrol for fishermen near Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday encountered "aggressive actions" from at least five Chinese ships, with one of them firing water cannon on one of the Philippine vessels.

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Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Panatag and Scarborough Shoal, is located off Masinloc, Zambales, within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

Beijing also used, for the first time, two PLA Navy ships that blocked and conducted dangerous maneuvers and shadowing against Manila's vessels. 

China's coast guard said that Philippine coast guard ships came "dangerously close" to its own. "China exercised control over them in accordance with the law," a spokesman said.

'STEEP ESCALATION'

Speaking on ANC, National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said they considered this move as a "provocation" and "steep escalation" by China.

Malaya noted that PLA Navy ships in the past had a presence in the West Philippine Sea "but they were just on the horizon, they would not do dangerous maneuvers against our Philippine vessels."

"We are alarmed by this development, and as I said, we reserve our right to deploy our Philippine Navy ships as well," he said.

"It might be considered cowardice on the part of Beijing if we do not do anything."

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The Philippine Navy is the warfare service arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

'UNFAIR'

Malaya explained that Manila has always regarded operations in the West Philippine Sea as civilian in nature and has never deployed a Philippine Navy ship.

He described it as "unfair" when China deployed its PLA Navy ships, saying that it is "unequal for a civilian ship to face a warship of the People’s Republic of China."

Despite the recent confrontation, Malaya said there have been "some good spots" in the relationship between the Philippines and China.

"In the security sphere, we have these tensions, but there has been a significant improvement in relation to Ayungin" Shoal, where Manila's lone military outpost, BRP Sierra Madre, in the West Philippine Sea is located.

"Our resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre have been going smoothly and both sides are respecting the provisional understanding," he said.

The Philippines and China this year agreed on an "arrangement" for resupplying Filipino troops stationed on Ayungin, after a series of escalating confrontations in the waterway.

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