Rowegie Abanto

PCG moves to protect Filipino vessel 'harassed' by China ships near Scarborough Shoal

Article (news)

PCG moves to protect Filipino vessel 

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768276498009615483601_122250295028183067_8112616359910274576_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="PCG moves to protect Filipino vessel &#x27;harassed&#x27; by China ships near Scarborough Shoal. PCG"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">PCG moves to protect Filipino vessel &#x27;harassed&#x27; by China ships near Scarborough Shoal. <em>PCG</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Philippine Coast Guard on Tuesday said it had successfully rescued a Filipino fishing vessel being &quot;harassed&quot; by Chinese ships near Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, in the West Philippine Sea.</p><p>In a statement, the PCG said the incident happened at around noon on Monday, January 12, when a Filipino fishing boat attempted to head toward a fishing ground west of the Scarborough Shoal, an area off Zambales that has been under Beijing&#x27;s control since 2012 following a standoff between Manila.</p><p>The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that Filipino fishermen have traditional fishing rights at the shoal, but China continues to ignore this decision.</p><p>The agency noted that a People&#x27;s Liberation Army Navy vessel and a China Coast Guard ship blared sirens and blocked the boat&#x27;s path about 16 nautical miles southeast of the shoal.<strong></strong></p><p>&quot;The fishing boat&#x27;s captain changed course to the southeast to evade the vessels but reported being closely trailed by the China Coast Guard ship,&quot; it added.</p><p>A PCG multi-role response vessel, BRP Cape San Agustin, responded and had the fishing boat&#x27;s captain board it shortly after 3:59 p.m.</p><p><strong></strong>He received medical treatment and gave a full account of the incident, PCG said, noting that its personnel captured photographs and video evidence of the Chinese vessels&#x27; &quot;dangerous actions.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/1/9/pcg-searches-for-missing-fisherman-off-zambales-2000">PCG searches for missing fisherman off Zambales</a></div><p>Even before the incident, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy had already blocked the Filipino boat to prevent it from approaching the shoal.</p><p>“Even before they arrived in the area, the PLA Navy 621 and the CCG 23521 already started harassing them by dangerous maneuvers, blocking and with the use of siren,” Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, told reporters in an interview on Tuesday.</p><p>Beijing has yet to comment on the incident, but it previously justified its actions by saying it sought to protect its &quot;rights&quot; in the South China Sea.</p><p>The PCG also said it transferred 10 containers of diesel to the fishing boat to allow it to resume course toward its intended fishing area.</p><p>“We rendezvoused… We were able to meet the Filipino fishing boat at a particular location, and we allowed the Filipino fishermen to board the PCG vessel,” Tarriela said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>BOAT CAPTAIN RECOUNTS ORDEAL</strong></div><p>“Nagkataon na sinalubong kami ng 621 na warship nila. Inikutan kami, in-escort-an at itinaboy palayo. Ako nama’y hindi natatakot. Dire-diretso lang basta tuluy-tuloy lang. Maya-maya, galing ng west ng Scarborough, humarurot… inikutan kami, nagalit. Dinikdik kami palayo,” Boat captain Ryan Jacinto said.</p><p>He went on, “Mas mabuting alert tayo. Hindi natin hawak isip ng mga ‘yan.”</p><p>Tarriela said such harassment by Chinese maritime forces is not new.</p><p>He also dismissed China’s claim last month of providing assistance to a supposedly distressed Filipino fisherman as a “propaganda stunt.”</p><p>“The harassment of the Filipino fishermen in BDM is not new. We ended the year last year, kung saan ang mga mangingisda natin sa Sabina Shoal were also subjected to water cannon by the CCG. This goes to show that Chinese maritime forces—PLAN, CCG an CMM—are evidently harassing Filipino fishermen and violating our sovereign rights in the WPS,” Tarriela said.</p><p>He then continued, “For so many times we have documented the harassment of the CCG and CMM to ordinary fishermen, it will really not convince you that the Chinese government is really in good faith na tutulong at hindi manghaharass ng ating mga kababayang Pilipino.”</p><p>For the Philippine Navy, the incident is part of a broader and more coordinated action by Chinese maritime forces in the West Philippine Sea.</p><p>“The actions compared from 2024 to 2025, we now see an integration by the PLA Navy while the closer approach is conducted by the CCG. The PLA Navy is now in a closer vicinity with the CCG ships when they conduct harassment activities,” Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.</p><p>“These are coercive and aggressive actions designed to destroy the will to fish of our fishermen,” he added.</p><p>The Filipino fishing boat continues its fishing expedition around Bajo de Masinloc under the security of the BRP Cape San Agustin.</p><p>The PCG is also continuing its search for a fisherman from Subic, Zambales, reported missing last week.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy monitored a total of 41 Chinese vessels—comprising CCG, PLA Navy, and Chinese maritime militia (CMM)—in key West Philippine Sea features during the first week of the year.</p><p>At Bajo de Masinloc, two PLA Navy warships, three CCG vessels, and three CMM ships were seen.</p><p>At Ayungin Shoal, six CCG and eight CMM ships were recorded.</p><p>Escoda Shoal saw three PLA Navy, six CCG, and four CMM ships, while Pag-asa Island had four CCG and two CMM ships.</p><p>“This is still quite within the numbers we are monitoring. They’re already illegally within our EEZ, but compared to the data we have, these are still within the normal numbers we monitor,” Trinidad explained.</p><p>“Our patrol plans are in place. We have escalated them compared to 2024 and 2025. So, an increase in our MDA flights and patrols by sea,” he added.</p><p>“We will continue this with the arrival of newer platforms, newer aircraft… enhancements in our maritime domain awareness sensors,” Trinidad further said.</p><p>The Navy has also intensified its monitoring in the West Philippine Sea, with closer coordination with the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).</p><p>&quot;The Philippine Coast Guard remains steadfast in defending the safety and maritime rights of our fishermen, in full accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award,&quot; PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said in the news release.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/6/chinese-activities-in-the-west-ph-sea-seen-to-continue-in-2026-navy-spox-1547">Chinese activities in the West PH Sea seen to continue in 2026—Navy spox</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_taGk2VmsTQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The Philippine Coast Guard on Tuesday said it had successfully rescued a Filipino fishing vessel being "harassed" by Chinese ships near Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, in the West Philippine Sea.</p>

The Philippine Coast Guard on Tuesday said it had successfully rescued a Filipino fishing vessel being "harassed" by Chinese ships near Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, in the West Philippine Sea.

PCG moves to protect Filipino boat 'harassed' by China ships near Scarborough Shoal

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PCG moves to protect Filipino boat 'harassed' by China ships near Scarborough Shoal

Rowegie Abanto,

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 13, 2026 12:04 PM PHT

|

Updated Jan 13, 2026 06:01 PM PHT

Read More:

PCG

Philippine Coast Guard

West Philippine Sea

Bajo De Masinloc

Scarborough Shoal

South China Sea

China

Philippines

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