Philippines Rejects Beijing’s Claim of Journalists Smearing China’s Coast Guard

The Philippines says embedded journalists are only delivering factual stories about the current situation in the disputed South China Sea.

A Chinese coast guard ship blocks a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources' (BFAR) ship as it nears the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea, on Sept. 22, 2023. Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images

The Philippines embedded journalists on a ship resupply mission at the Scarborough Shoal to “truthfully report” on the “illegal presence” of Chinese coast guard ships there, a senior Philippine official said on Feb. 25.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) spokesman, made the remarks after Chinese state-owned media accused journalists on board a Philippine fishing vessel of trying to “smear and hype” the Chinese coast guard’s operation near the disputed shoal on Feb. 22.

Both the Philippines and China assert sovereignty over the shoal. Manila refers to it as “Bajo de Masinloc,” while Beijing calls it “Huangyan Island.”

“The Philippine government embeds [journalists] not to smear your illegal presence, bullying behavior, and provocative tactics in Bajo De Mansiloc, but to truthfully report on the situation without any bias or influence,” Mr. Tarriela said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

He affirmed his country’s commitment to upholding freedom of the press, saying the Philippines “allows journalists to exercise their rights and responsibilities in delivering accurate news to the public.”

“This means whatever they bring out to the public are factual stories and not dictated by the government,” the PCG official said.

Scarborough Shoal, an atoll in the South China Sea, is part of the Spratly Islands and about 560 miles from China’s Hainan Island and 150 miles from the Philippines. The 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which China is a signatory, designates maritime areas within 200 nautical miles (230 miles) of coastal nations’ borders as part of their exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Philippine Vessel Evades Chinese Ships’ Blocking Attempts

The Chinese Coast Guard stated on Feb. 22 that it drove away a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ship for “illegally intruding” into its waters near the Scarborough Shoal.

The BFAR ship, known as BRP Datu Sanday, appears to be the same vessel that had journalists on board during its resupply mission on Feb. 22.

Mr. Tarriela dismissed China’s claim as “inaccurate.” He said the BFAR ship was supplying fuel to Filipino fishing boats operating within the Philippines’ EEZ when it was approached by Chinese ships.

“We are not like China that uses fishing vessels as part of its gray zone tactics to alter the status quo in the West Philippine Sea,” he said on X, using the Filipino name for the South China Sea.

The PCG stated that at least four Chinese ships shadowed the BFAR vessel, jammed its transponder, and engaged in “dangerous maneuvers.” At one point, three of the Chinese vessels came within 100 meters (about 328 feet) of its bow, according to AFP.

Nevertheless, the Philippine ship evaded the Chinese ships’ blocking attempts and continued to patrol the area to safeguard the safety of Filipino fishermen, according to Mr. Tarriela.

“Interestingly, some of our media friends are embedded onboard the BFAR vessel, and their forthcoming reports upon completion of the mission will confirm the accuracy of our statement,” he said.

Chinese coast guard and suspected Chinese militia ships block the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Cabra as they approach Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal, during a resupply mission at the disputed South China Sea, on Nov. 10, 2023. Joeal Calupitan/AP Photo

This incident occurred just two weeks after the Feb. 1 standoff between Chinese Coast Guard ships and a Philippine ship near the Scarborough Shoal, which saw the Chinese ships cross the bow of the PCG vessel twice during the closest encounter.

Beijing has asserted territorial claims over nearly the entire South China Sea, including reefs and islands that overlap with the EEZs of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

An international tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines following legal action taken by the country in 2016. But the ruling didn’t see China’s communist regime change behavior, with Chinese vessels repeatedly intruding into the Philippines’ maritime zones.

Jose Manuel Romualdez, Philippine ambassador to the United States, warned that conflict between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea could ignite at any time. In an interview on Dec. 7, 2023, he told Nikkei Asia that the South China Sea “is the flashpoint, not Taiwan.”

“If anything happens in our area, it’s like the beginning of another war, world war,” Mr. Romualdez told the media outlet.

Jon Sun and Michael Zhuang contributed to this report.