Manila says China targeted Filipino fishermen at close range for first time

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December 15, 2025 | 6:19pm

MANILA, Philippines — The China Coast Guard's water cannon attack on Filipino fishermen near Escoda Shoal over the weekend is the first time Beijing's vessels have directly targeted fishing boats at close range, according to the National Maritime Council.

On Friday, December 12, three Filipino fishermen were injured when high-pressure water from CCG vessels knocked them down onto the sharp metal edges of their boats, said Undersecretary Alexander Lopez, the council's spokesperson. Three boats also sustained major damage.

"What happened at Escoda was really close and direct," Lopez said in a public briefing on Monday, December 15. "That's why three of our fishermen were injured and their fishing vessels were damaged."

Chinese vessels have fired water cannons at Filipino fishermen before, but from a distance, Lopez said. He recalled a 2015 incident when he commanded the Western Command and CCG vessels sprayed water at Filipino boats from afar.

The fishermen — who reportedly suffered bruises and open wounds — have received treatment for their injuries and are now recovering, Lopez said. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has not yet determined the cost of damage to the boats.

The PCG yesterday reported CCG and maritime militia vessels targeted about 20 Filipino fishing boats near Escoda Shoal through water cannons and cutting anchor lines.

The incident prompted the PCG to deploy its vessels to assist the fishermen. They were also subjected to blocking maneuvers before they managed to reach the fishermen.

Lopez reiterated the Philippines' stance that China has no legal basis for asserting rights over Escoda Shoal, which sits 120 kilometers from Palawan and 1,200 kilometers from China's southernmost province. The shoal also falls within the Philippines' 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone, where only Manila has rights to fish and extract resources under international law.

"There is no legal basis under international law for them to enforce what they call control measures," Lopez said. "Their presence at the shoal still demonstrates their actual ambition to occupy and claim all of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea."

The government is gathering formal reports from the Philippine Coast Guard and Western Command to support a diplomatic protest the Department of Foreign Affairs will file with the Chinese Embassy in Manila, Lopez said.

The Chinese vessels' harassment of the Filipino fishers has drawn condemnations from the United States Department of State, as well as the foreign missions of Canada and Australia.