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Philippines says Chinese ship 'rammed' government vessel in South China Sea
- On Friday, September 18, 2026, a China Coast Guard vessel rammed the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship BRP Datu Magat Salamat in the West Philippine Sea, 54 nautical miles off Palawan.
- Tasked with delivering fuel subsidies to Filipino fishermen, the BFAR vessel was operating in the area following a Thursday grounding at Hasa-Hasa Shoal when China Coast Guard vessel CCG-21585 approached.
- Collision at 11:13 a.m. bent, broke, and detached starboard-side railings and deformed metal structures on the BFAR vessel. Philippine Coast Guard video showed crew members shouting 'brace for impact!' moments before impact.
- Contesting the account, the China Coast Guard claimed the Philippine vessel 'disregarded repeated solemn warnings, deliberately altered its course and suddenly accelerated to cut across the bow of our vessel,' placing blame on the Philippine side.
- Located well within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, the incident underscores Beijing's ongoing sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, which the 2016 Arbitral Award found had no legal basis.
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Beijing, for its part, claims that it was the Philippine boat that caused the collision.
·Barcelona, Spain
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On September 18, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel piled up BRP Datu Magat Salamat from the Philippine Fisheries Bureau. The relevant footage is shown online. According to Manila authorities, Datu Magat Salamat carried out a “humanitarian mission” in the South China Sea — delivering livelihoods, and
Coverage Details
Total News Sources87
Leaning Left12Leaning Right20Center16Last UpdatedBias Distribution42% Right
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources lean Right
42% Right
L 25%
C 33%
R 42%
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