SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines – It took the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) around 12 hours to rescue personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who got wounded after the China Coast Guard (CCG) rammed a Philippine Navy vessel on Monday, June 17, in an attempt to disrupt Manila’s resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal.
The incident saw CCG officers use tear gas, brandish bladed weapons, tug at the Philippine Navy’s rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs), and throw rocks at soldiers moored beside the BRP Sierra Madre, the dilapidated ship that serves as the Philippines’ outpost in Ayungin Shoal.
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela told reporters in a chance interview on Friday, June 21, that they learned about the incident at 10 am on Monday, but the rescue of the injured personnel concluded at past 10:30 pm the same day.
He recalled that while there was no explicit instruction from the CCG to stop rescuing the victims, the Chinese officers made it difficult for the PCG to complete the medical evacuation.
“Despite our coordinating efforts with the CCG to retrieve the injured AFP personnel, we were still subjected to dangerous maneuver and harassment from the Chinese Coast Guard. And not just the Chinese Coast Guard, we were also harassed by People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels, like the Houbei-class missile boats,” Tarriela said.
“The RHIB that we used was actually harassed by Chinese Coast Guard RHIBs. We had a hard time to outmaneuver them and to convince them to allow the Philippine Coast Guard RHIB to retrieve the injured AFP personnel,” he also recounted.
Reports said eight Filipinos were wounded during Monday’s incident, including a soldier whose injuries were serious, according to the AFP.
The Philippine military described China’s actions as a “brazen act of aggression” and an “act of piracy.”
China refuted this, saying the maneuvers were “professional, restrained, justified and lawful.”
Beijing continues to ignore a 2016 arbitral ruling won by Manila that invalidated its all-encompassing claims in the South China Sea. – Rappler.com
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Sick and tired of hearing our officials rant and “cry”. It just emboldens CCP China even more. Since we have the legitimate right, it’s time for PBBM to order our Military Forces to apply the same amount of force if not more to overwhelm them for once and teach the CCG a lesson they will remember. Otherwise, let our Military Forces such us the Marines, Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard be dissolved if our government cannot even apply the same amount of force and personnel with whatever available resources to counter these illegal acts and injustices. We don’t even need an aircraft carrier to so this to defend our rightful
claim of the WPS. It’s now time for our President, political leaders and military officials to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk!