MANILA – Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels and boats allegedly blocked and rammed Philippine boats who were conducting a medical evacuation in the contested West Philippine Sea.
According to Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela, the CCG still went on with their action despite informing of the Philippine boats’ mission.
“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 said in a statement.
“The CCG intentionally rammed as we transfer the personnel from the PN RHIB. The rendezvous point is at 15.43 nautical miles southeast off northeast Entrance of Ayungin Shoal,” he added.
According to Tariella, the incident took place on May 19 as they were trying to evacuate a sick member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who was deployed at BRP Sierra Madre.
Even with China’s actions, Tarriela said the PCG and Philippine Navy successfully outmaneuvered the foreign boats and vessels and completed the medical evacuation of the sick Filipino to Buliluyan Port.
“At 1515H on 19 May 2024, the sick AFP personnel was transported to the nearest hospital and received immediate medical attention,” Tarriela said.
Tarriela described China’s action as “barbaric” and “inhumane”, and its deployment of two China Coast Guard vessels 21551 and 21555, two small boats, and two rubber boats was “excessive”.
“Their actions clearly demonstrated their intention to prevent the sick personnel from receiving the proper medical attention he urgently needed,” Tarriela said.
The Philippine military, for their part, said China’s recent claim that the Philippine Navy destroyed its fishing nets in Ayungin Shoal was another example of its “malign influence operation.”
“It seeks to distract from the real issue at hand: their ongoing illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions and activities in the West Philippine Sea,” Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Colonel Francel Margerath Padilla said./PN
