ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Antonio Nafarrete visited two Philippine Navy personnel injured during a confrontation with the China Coast Guard (CCG) near Ayungin Shoal and awarded them the Wounded Personnel Medal in recognition of their service.
Nafarrete visited the two sailors at Camp Ricarte Station Hospital on July 25, where he checked on their condition and assured them of the military's full support for their recovery and welfare.
Nafarrete said the sailors' actions reflected the highest standards of military professionalism, patriotism and selfless service.
"The AFP stands firmly behind our wounded personnel as they recover from injuries sustained in the line of duty," he said, adding that their actions reflected military professionalism, patriotism and selfless service.
The two personnel were serving as part of the security contingent aboard the BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57), the Navy ship grounded at Ayungin Shoal that serves as the Philippines' military outpost in the West Philippine Sea, when they were injured during territorial defense operations on July 20.
The injuries stemmed from a tense encounter during a routine Rotation and Resupply (RoRe) mission to the BRP Sierra Madre. According to the AFP, China Coast Guard personnel deployed rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) that approached the Philippine naval outpost while the mission was underway.
The AFP said some CCG personnel boarded the BRP Sierra Madre without permission. During the confrontation, one Philippine Navy serviceman was allegedly struck on the head with a wooden baton by a CCG member, causing injuries that required medical evacuation by the Philippine Coast Guard. A second Navy personnel was also wounded during the incident.
Following the encounter, the AFP condemned what it described as dangerous, unlawful actions by the China Coast Guard and challenged Beijing to release the complete, unedited video footage of the incident after Chinese authorities released selected clips of the confrontation. The military said the full footage would present a complete account of what transpired.
The July 20 incident took place less than a week before another confrontation near Bajo de Masinloc, where the Philippine Coast Guard reported that a Chinese Coast Guard vessel fired water cannons at the BRP Datu Dumangsil while it was conducting a mission to deliver supplies to Filipino fishermen.
The AFP said Nafarrete's visit demonstrated the military's continued commitment to the welfare of its personnel as they carry out missions to protect the country's sovereignty, sovereign rights, and territorial integrity in the West Philippine Sea.
