Better to get hurt by water cannons than retaliate – PCG

MANILA, Philippines —  IngIt’s still best not to hit back in the face of water cannon attacks by the Chinese, as retaliating would give them an excuse for an escalation, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela said yesterday.

Last Tuesday, the China Coast Guard (CCG) unleashed what could be its fiercest water cannon attack yet on Philippine vessels on humanitarian mission for fishermen in Panatag Shoal. The attack caused serious damage to the PCG’s BRP Bagacay and the MV Bankaw of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

While generally praised for its tenacity, the PCG was also maligned on social media supposedly for cowardice for not retaliating against the Chinese.

“I think it’s unfair for the PCG to be labeled as coward, for not using its water cannon. In the first place, if they do really think that the coast guards are cowards, they should have already stopped this (humanitarian missions) in the first place, they should have already stopped publicizing this (Chinese attacks),” he said in an interview over radio dzBB.

The pressure from Chinese water cannons was reportedly more than 200 pounds per square inch or powerful enough to make a dent on metal or even kill.

PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gavan has ordered an immediate damage assessment on BRP Bagacay.

PCG’s Metro Manila and Central Luzon district acting commander Commodore Arnaldo Lim said repairs for the damaged 44-meter vessel, the 10th in its current fleet, could cost between P2 million and P3 million.

Tarriela said the Chinese water cannon attack on Tuesday violated international law and should no longer be considered a “grey zone tactic.” The Philippines continuously asserts the 2016 arbitral ruling that upheld the country’s exclusive economic zone and invalidated China’s claims.

“What we need to realize is we need to deescalate the tension and we should not be the reason for China to say ‘see, you’re provoking us by fighting us with water cannons,” he said. This would further embolden the Chinese to send in more ships to Philippine waters.

The PCG has maintained its patrol vessels will use water cannons only for firefighting.

“That’s what they’ve been doing (water cannon