Manila, Sept. 18 -- A China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel rammed a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel delivering fuel subsidy to Filipino fisherfolk about 54 nautical miles off the coast of Palawan on Friday.

In a statement, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela, said the CCG deliberately rammed a civilian government vessel on a humanitarian and livelihood mission, endangering the lives of its Filipino crew.

"These actions are a blatant violation of the 1972 COLREGs, the 2016 Arbitral Award, and UNCLOS. No amount of ramming or dangerous maneuvering will change the fact that these waters belong to the Filipino people," he said.

The 1972 COLREGs refer to the Conventi...