MANILA—Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela denied China’s accusations of Philippine provocations in the West Philippine Sea, saying facts from the August 11, 2025, incident near Bajo de Masinloc “set the record straight.”

Tarriela said the PCG’s maritime patrols, including the BRP Suluan’s mission to support local fishermen, are in line with international law and take place within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. He said China’s presence in the area is illegal under the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration award.

“It’s absurd for China to claim the Philippines is provoking collisions when common sense—and the sheer size disparity—makes that impossible,” he said, citing that the BRP Suluan is a 44.5-meter patrol vessel compared to China Coast Guard’s CCG 3104 at about 80–90 meters and the People’s Liberation Army Navy destroyer Guilin at 157 meters.

“Video evidence shows the Chinese ships chasing the smaller Philippine vessel at high speeds, leading to their own mishap—not any ‘reckless maneuvers’ from the Philippines,” Tarriela said.

He also said the “Kadiwa para sa Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda” program provides genuine support to Filipino fisherfolk at Scarborough Shoal and is not provocative. “These are not scripted actors but real people whose livelihoods depend on these waters,” he said, adding that Manila’s mission even offered medical aid to the Chinese crew, which was ignored.

Tarriela said the collision between China’s PLAN destroyer and CCG cutter was the result of “unprofessional, reckless behavior,” including high-speed pursuits, blocking attempts, and violations of international collision regulations. He said experts had pointed to poor coordination between Chinese forces that led the destroyer to hit its own coast guard ship.

“China’s state media spin ignores these realities and shifts blame to deflect from its own failures. The international community sees through it—escalation serves no one, and adherence to law is the path forward,” Tarriela said.