MANILA, Philippines – A Philippine Navy personnel was injured after members of the China Coast Guard (CCG) allegedly assaulted him during a confrontation in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal on Monday, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
In a statement, the AFP said a CCG rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) with eight personnel from vessel CCGV 21560 unlawfully approached within close range of the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin.
It circled and took photos and videos, prompting two AFP rubber boats “to calmly and non‑confrontationally drive it away.”
The BRP Sierra Madre, the rusting but still in active service vessel of the Philippine Navy, was deliberately grounded in 1999 to help secure the country’s assertion of sovereignty over the area of Ayungin—which is some 315 km west of Palawan in the West Philippine Sea, and thus well within the country’s 370-km exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
However, the military said the situation escalated when CCG personnel “reacted violently and aggressively” by striking a Philippine Navy personnel on the head with a wooden baton, causing an injury and damaging the Navy rubber boat.
The Western Command immediately provided medical attention to the injured personnel and is currently coordinating with BRP Sierra Madre to determine the extent of the injuries and whether medical evacuation is necessary.
“These latest aggressive actions and assault by the CCG demonstrate a blatant disregard for safety, endanger the lives of our personnel and escalate tensions in the West Philippine Sea,” the AFP said.
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The latest confrontation between Philippine and Chinese authorities in the West Philippine Sea comes as the 59th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Foreign Ministers Meeting takes place in Manila.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro is scheduled to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where the two are expected to discuss the escalating tensions in the South China Sea.
Despite the encounter, the military said its personnel remained professional and exercised discipline while acting in accordance with the Rules of Engagement during the conduct of their lawful mission inside the Philippines’ EEZ.
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The AFP said it would continue its lawful presence and sustainment operations in Ayungin Shoal.
“No act of coercion or aggression will deter us from carrying out our constitutional mandate or exercising the Philippines’ lawful rights in the West Philippine Sea,” it added.
It called on China’s People’s Liberation Army and CCG, including their maritime militia, to put a stop to their “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions within the West Philippine Sea,” and to adhere to the 2016 arbitral award.
China has yet to issue a statement on the latest incident. /jpv
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