China’s use of a long-range acoustic device against Filipino sailors in the South China Sea marks an “increase in aggression” in the disputed waters, a Philippine Navy spokesman said. The BRP Cabra, a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship, faced off with Chinese coast guard vessel 3203 and two other Chinese ships as it tried to sail on Saturday within Manila’s exclusive economic zone off the coast of Zambales, a province in the northern Philippines.
During the encounter, Filipino crew members described hearing a piercing sound at high decibels that could damage ears and cause severe discomfort.“The long-range acoustic device [LRAD] is an increase in the aggression of the Chinese Communist Party in the West Philippine Sea,” said Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea – Manila’s name for South China Sea waters within its exclusive economic zone.
