By: Rene Acosta
MANILA, Philippines — Two Chinese Coast Guard vessels launched water cannons onto two Filipino boats during a resupply mission, a move that prompted the Philippine government to file a diplomatic protest against China, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Thursday.
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday Manila time, forced the two civilian ships to abort their resupply mission for the Philippine military and marked Beijing’s escalation of its harassment of vessels in maritime waters where it disputes Philippine ownership, officials in Manilla said. The Philippine military had chartered the two boats to bring supplies to its troops in the Second Thomas Shoal.
The attack on Filipino boats Unaiza Mae 1 and Unaiza Mae 3 occurred inside the Second Thomas Shoal, which is within the Philippines’ Kalayaan Island Group, and lasted for at least an hour. The attack broke the outrigger of one of the boats, prompting both to head back to the nearest island of Palawan…
