PCG hits China harassment anew

By Vince Lopez

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday accused Chinese patrol vessels of blocking two of its boats in the disputed West Philippine Sea, describing their actions as “very dangerous”.

PCG spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela confirmed that multiple Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, militia boats, and People’s Liberation ArmyNavy (PLA-N) ships have encroached into Philippine waters of the disputed portions of the South China Sea (SCS).

China claims almost the entire SCS despite rival claims from other Southeast Asian countries including the Phil-

PH heat index to reach 44°C in some areas

THE country can expect heat indexes of as high as 44 degrees Celsius in some parts of Luzon as it deals with a heat wave owing to the advent of El Nino and cloudless skies for the next few days, state weather forecasters said Wednesday.

Filipinos had been looking for more information lately on how high the mercury would hit their homes, but the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) had actually suspended issuing its daily heat index information starting last June 2, 2023 with the official declaration of the onset – ironically -- of the rainy season, the Standard learned.

“During this period, it is important to focus on providing accurate and timely information related to hazards and potential impacts associated with the rainy season,” the weather bureau explained in suspending its heat index reports, which it said will resume on March 1, 2024.

That date coincides with the hot and dry months in many parts of the country, PAGASA said, as it advised the public to stay informed “through official announcements from the relevant local authorities” on warnings related to extremely hot weather.

Meanwhile, weather forecasts pegged the heat index -- what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature – for Thursday at 44 degrees in Dagupan, Tarlac, Cabanatuan, and Tuguegarao, and 43 degrees in Metro Manila. Rio N. Araja ippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Chinese coast guard and navy vessels routinely block or tail Philippine ships patrolling the contested waters, Philippine authorities asserted.

The PCG said the latest incident happened on June 30 during a regular operation to re-supply marines stationed in a run-down navy ship grounded at the Second Thomas Shoal to assert Manila’s territorial claim in the waters.

As they neared the shoal, the two PCG boats assigned as escorts for the navy mission were approached by two Chinese coast guard vessels.

One of the Chinese boats came within 100 yards (90 meters) of the BRP Malabrigo’s bow, forcing its commanding officer to slow down to avoid a collision, Tarriela told reporters.

“They dangerously conducted different maneuvers, even crossing the bow of the Philippine Coast Guard vessels and that kind of distance is very dangerous because that’s already prone to collision,” Tarriela said.

Manila refers to waters immediately to its west as the West Philippine Sea.

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A similar incident happened in April when a Chinese coast guard ship cut off the Philippine patrol vessel Malapascua as it carried journalists near the Second Thomas Shoal.

An AFP team was on another coast guard vessel and witnessed the near collision. In that incident, the Malapascua’s commanding officer Rodel Hernandez said the Chinese ship came within 45 meters of his boat and only his quick decisions avoided the steel-hulled vessels crashing into each other. With AFP