Overview
- Manila’s coast guard reports three Filipino fishermen injured and two boats heavily damaged after China Coast Guard water cannon blasts near Sabina Shoal on Friday.
- Officials say nearly two dozen Philippine fishing boats faced water cannon, blocking maneuvers and deliberate cutting of anchor lines that endangered crews.
- The Philippine Coast Guard says its rescue vessels were repeatedly blocked but ultimately reached the fishermen and delivered medical aid and supplies.
- China’s coast guard says it issued warnings and conducted maneuvers to drive Philippine vessels away, and China’s military says it warned off a Philippine aircraft over Scarborough Shoal.
- Video released by the Philippine side shows high-pressure water striking small fishing boats; Sabina Shoal sits about 150 km west of Palawan within the Philippine EEZ, despite Beijing’s rejection of a 2016 Hague ruling.