The BRP Datu Magat Salamat could require roughly ?1.4 million in repairs following its September 18 collision with a China Coast Guard vessel, based on an initial estimate. The impact damaged the BFAR vessel’s railings, metal supports, and deck equipment while it was assisting Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea.
China Coast Guard vessel CCG-21585 struck the BFAR vessel about 54 nautical miles off Palawan. The Philippine Coast Guard said the collision was deliberate, while China disputed Manila’s account. The Department of Foreign Affairs condemned the incident, saying there was no justification for the Chinese Coast Guard’s actions and that the collision endangered the civilian crew.
For civic leader Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia, the incident is part of a wider pattern of pressure on Philippine vessels operating in the country’s maritime domain.
‘The repair cost is only the immediate consequence,’ Goitia said. ‘What should concern every Filipino is that our people are being put at risk simply for exercising lawful rights in our own waters.’
That same dynamic is visible around Bajo de Masinloc. In June, Philippine authorities confirmed a Chinese floating platform inside the shoal, prompting a diplomatic protest. The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea later confirmed its removal.
Reports of a longer-term Chinese strategy, including a 15-year horizon and possible additional military infrastructure, have fueled concern over Beijing’s expanding presence in the South China Sea. The specific claim involving a timetable for occupying Philippine islands or establishing a fourth military installation at Bajo de Masinloc, however, has not been publicly confirmed by Philippine authorities.
‘We cannot wait for China to announce its intentions before we prepare,’ Goitia said. ‘We have to look at what is already happening. If this is part of a longer-term effort to expand control, the Philippines has to stand firm.’
He stressed that pressure must not force the Philippines to surrender its lawful rights.
‘We will not surrender our rights in our own waters simply because another country chooses to apply pressure,’ he said. ‘Our fishermen have the right to fish. Our vessels have the right to operate here. That’s what we’re defending.’
The BRP Datu Magat Salamat can be repaired. What’s harder to repair is the precedent: that Filipino vessels and fishermen should have to absorb this kind of risk simply for working in their own waters.
Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia, Juris Doctor, PhD, is Chairman Emeritus of Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (PADER), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI), and the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement (FDNY). He holds advanced degrees, including an MNSA, MPA, and MBA, among others.