The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Friday that Chinese Coast Guard boats and vessels had stopped Philippine boats carrying out medical evacuations in the West Philippine Sea.

PCG spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a statement, “Despite informing the Chinese Coast Guard via radio and public address system about the humanitarian nature of our mission for medical evacuation, they still engaged in dangerous maneuvers and even intentionally rammed the Philippine Navy Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat.”

Tarriela stated that the ill person was an Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) member stationed at BRP Sierra Madre.

Although the event happened on May 19, the PCG didn’t make the footage public until this past Friday.

According to Tarriela, the AFP recently brought up the event, which is why the PCG only recently made the report public.

The Commodore said that the PCG and Philippine Navy managed to outmaneuver the foreign boats and vessels and finish the medical evacuation of the sick Filipino to Buliluyan Port in spite of China’s activities.

“At 1515H on 19 May 2024, the sick AFP personnel was transported to the nearest hospital and received immediate medical attention,” Tarriela said.

This incident is the latest in a long line of Chinese harassment of Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea. On May 19, during routine rotation and resupply (RORE) operations, troops stationed on the Sierra Madre were airdropped food and supplies, which were retrieved by CCG personnel in inflatable boats in competition.

AFP did not point guns against Chinese, obeys rules of engagement – Brawner

General Romeo Brawner refuted allegations that the military pointed guns at the Chinese, but stated that personnel operating the Philippine Navy’s old grounded but active warship are armed and have the right to protect themselves in accordance with the rules of engagement.

“Because of that intent of the CCG to get our supplies, they came very close to the BRP Sierra Madre and from the point of view of our soldiers, this pose a danger, a threat because they were too close. That is why there were videos, there were images of our soldiers carrying their guns.” Brawner said.

But again, I’d like to emphasize they did not point their guns to the Chinese. We follow the rules of engagement and our soldiers know that,” Brawner stressed.

Interception of food supplies a “barbaric act”, urges President Marcos to file protest – Rep. Barbers

Surigao Second District Representative Robert Ace Barbers described the interception of food shipments as a “barbaric act.”

Barbers declared, “Its acts are barbaric and has no place in an already civilized world,” strongly denouncing the most recent assault on Filipinos defending the West Philippine Sea.

“The latest uncalled for barbaric and inhumane attacks by the trespassers that are all caught on video deserve the highest condemnation from the international community. It did not only show unprovoked aggression, it placed the lives of our people in grave danger,” Barbers added.

Barbers pushed the Marcos government to file protests with international bodies in lieu of merely diplomatic note verbales as a form of protest.

“It was worse than the illegal water cannon aggression because it was almost like a hand-to-hand combat with our personnel scrambling to get back the air-dropped supplies for the Sierra Madre that were snatched by the Chinese, unmindful of their own safety,” Barbers said.

The congressman went on to say that the brave actions of Filipinos “deserve the highest commendation from our government” because they “risk their lives to bring food supplies to their fellow Filipinos and uphold the interest and honor of the country against all odds.”

Barbers called on the president, “through the appropriate departments and agencies, to initiate the filing of criminal complaints before international bodies with jurisdiction over such criminal behavior.”

“We should not let this pass,” Barbers stressed.

📹 📷 Philippine Coast Guard