00:00Tensions in the West Philippine Sea continue to rise after a Chinese warship informed Filipino fishermen of its planned live-fire exercises near Bajo de Masinloc.
00:11While the exercise has yet to take place, the threats have sparked fear among local fishermen. Our Noel Talacay tells us more.
00:20Security, security, security. This is a Chinese air warship. We are conducting live-fire at 4-5.
00:26This was the radio broadcast from the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy warship with bow number 525 informing the Filipino fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc that they will be conducting live-fire exercises.
00:42This happened yesterday. Based on the monitoring of the Philippine Coast Guard or PCG, the red box is the venue for the supposed live-fire exercises that will be conducted.
00:55It's just 91 nautical miles away from the landmass of Zambales. The red circles are the Chinese ships, while the circles with the Philippine flag are the nation ships.
01:08If it pushes through, it will be the first live-fire exercises conducted by the China Navy in the West Philippine Sea.
01:19It was a very serious threat to the point that the Filipino fishermen were actually afraid.
01:26That's why we even asked them to move out from the grid coordinates na minensyon ng Chinese Coast Guard, ng PLA Navy, I mean.
01:35But Commodore J. Tariela, spokesperson of the West Philippine Sea at PCG, says that it is a threat to the Filipino fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc.
01:46There was no live-fire that was conducted. We would like to think that the radio broadcast of conducting a live-fire exercise was just used by the PLA Navy to threaten the large number of Filipino fishing boats who were fishing in that area.
02:04Tariela stressed that China has no right to conduct a live-fire exercise in the West Philippine Sea because this is not geographically part of China.
02:15However, theoretically, if China actually had jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea, they still could not immediately just conduct the said military exercise as China would still have to inform the countries that have vessels that use and pass through the said area that such an exercise would be conducted there.
02:40Well, a live-fire exercise is conducted by whether the Coast Guard or even the Navy, but it should be something that is to be communicated properly to a particular coastal state.
02:55Aside from this, Tariela also confirmed that not just one, but three vessels of the country were bombarded with water cannons and experienced dangerous maneuvering from Chinese vessels.
03:09These are the BRP Dato Sumcad, BRP Dato Matanam Taradapit, and BRP Dato Gumbay Piyang, which sustained serious damages like broken window glasses, a short circuit that affected the electrical outlet and air conditioning units of the said vessel.
03:29And a crew member of the Bureau of Fish and Aquatic Resources of the Bureau of Fish and Aquatic Resources also got wounded.
03:36Ang isang crew ng Bureau of Fish and Aquatic Resources ay tinamaan ng mga nabasag na glass coming from the window of sa likuran ng bridge ng barko.
03:48So ito ang naging dahilan kung bakit nagkaroon siya ng sugat sa dulo ng kanyang tenga.
03:54In connection with this, a post from X of a Chinese media claimed that it was the Philippine vessels that rammed the vessels of China, but Tariela denied this and explained.
04:08Common sense lang naman, wina-water cannon nila sa likod, wina-water cannon nila sa harap, tapos lilikuan nila ng ganun, e talaga namang kung tatama, tatama talaga sa kanila.
04:20It was actually their lies once again, hiding their unlawful and bullying activities in Bajo de Masinglo.
04:29Amid the threat of the conduct of a live fire exercise, Tariela says that he will submit a report to National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea.
04:39But he stressed that he will leave it to the task force to take action in it, whether it be the form of a diplomatic protest or by holding the Chinese government accountable for the damaged Philippine vessels.
04:55We're going to submit to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea an after-operation report of what had happened, and it's for the cognizant government agencies to take action.
05:09Nagkataon lang napabalik na yung apat, and there are other six BIFAR vessels na papunta rin naman ng Bajo de Masinglo, at magpapalit dito sa apat na pabalik.
05:19Nag-abot lang sila sa Bajo de Masinglo.
05:22Despite this, Tariela affirmed that the BRP Gabriela Silang and BRP Cabra of the PCG was able to bring their assistance, such as gasoline and ice, to almost 35 Filipino fishing boats under the Kadiwa para sa Bagong Bayaning Mahingisda or KBBM program in the West Philippine Sea.
05:43M.V. Mamalakaya was also there to purchase the freshly caught fish on site so that the Philippine fishermen can stay longer in Bajo de Masinglo.
05:54No, Wild Palakay from the National TV Network for new and better Philippines.
