THE Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) failed attempt last week to enter Ayungin Shoal — also claimed by China which effectively controls it — indeed hogged, as intended, local and global media's headlines for days. (The shoal is Rén'ài Jiāo to the Chinese and Bãi Cỏ Mây to Vietnamese which also claims it.)

This incident is far, far more serious than most people would think. It could have led — by design on the part of the PCG or accident on the part of both countries — to the deaths of about two dozen foreign and local journalists as well as the PCG crew that was misinformed why they were at the area.