MANILA, Philippines — An official of the National Maritime Council (NMC) on Saturday questioned China’s designation as “martyrs” of two of its coast guard (CG) sailors who were killed in the collision of two Chinese vessels near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal last year.
The People’s Armed Police Force said on Wednesday it had awarded four “martyrs”—including coast guard sailors Yi Xinyu and Cheng Long—a special title for “steadfast political convictions, exemplary deeds and outstanding achievements.”
Yi and Cheng both died on Aug. 11, 2025, the day a Chinese navy vessel collided with one from its own coast guard while chasing a Philippine patrol boat near the disputed shoal.
“They made a ‘martyr’ or hero of their fallen CG personnel out of their own mistake!” said retired Vice Adm. Alexander Lopez, spokesperson for the NMC, which is tasked to boost Manila’s maritime security amid Beijing’s aggressive tactics in the West Philippine Sea.
READ: Chinese ships collide while pursuing PH vessel
Lopez lamented that the Chinese government would not admit its mistakes or the consequences of its “illegal and aggressive behaviors at sea.”
“They ended up being the victims. The world knew what happened on that fateful day,” he said in a message to reporters, clarifying that he was speaking for himself, not the NMC.
READ: China confirms sailors died in 2025 West PH Sea collision
‘Why only now?’
“The question is … why only now?” Lopez added. “It took them quite a while, almost a year (Aug. 11 2025) to develop a narrative that is acceptable to their local audience. That’s how the Chinese government is fooling their people!”
It is not clear when the sailors were given the designation of “martyr,” which awards their families special housing and medical support, among other aid. Yi was 21 years old at the time of his death, and Cheng was 25, according to their profiles on the website.
Territorial disputes have seen China and the Philippines clash repeatedly in the South China Sea, almost all of which Beijing claims as its territory. —WITH A REPORT FROM AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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