Manila, May 1 -- The Philippines accused China's coast guard of elevating tensions in the South China Sea after its use of water cannons that damaged two of its vessels, an official said. Philippine officials have said a coast guard ship and a fisheries vessel were damaged by water cannons used by the Chinese coast guard while on their way to Scarborough Shoal to assist Filipino fishermen in the area.

"The Chinese coast guard now has elevated the tension and the level of their aggression as well towards the Philippine coast guard vessel," Commodore Jay Tarriela told a briefing. "This is the first time that we can say that the coast guard vessel has been subjected to a direct water canon with that kind of pressure that even resulted in st...