CHINESE coast guard vessels used water cannon and dangerous maneuvers to delay the medical evacuation of a Philippine Navy sailor from Ayungin Shoal by nearly 10 hours on Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Friday.
The sailor, who was stationed aboard the derelict BRP Sierra Madre that had been beached at the shoal, was eventually transferred to a PCG vessel and was reported in stable condition after receiving initial medical treatment. He was being transported to the port of Buliluyan in Palawan for further treatment.
The PCG said the BRP Cabra had sailed from Lawak Island, about 9 nautical miles north of Ayungin Shoal to fetch the sailor.
At around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 5306 approached the Cabra.
The PCG said CCG 5306 came to about 400 yards of the Cabra while firing its water cannon. The Cabra was not hit, but it moved farther from the shoal to protect its crew and maintain coordination with the personnel stationed at the Sierra Madre.
The PCG initially planned to pick up the stricken navy man at a rendezvous point about 2.5 nautical miles northeast of the Sierra Madre.
Chinese coast guard vessels, however, prevented the Cabra from reaching the rendezvous point, forcing it to remain about 13 nautical miles north of the shoal for several hours.
The CCG 5306 again challenged Cabra by radio, prompting the Philippine vessel to transfer to a location farther from the Sierra Madre.
The Cabra launched a rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) carrying a member of its Maritime Security Team and medical personnel.
The Chinese coast guard deployed its own RHIB to harass the Philippine boat.
The Sierra Madre detachment launched two rubber boats, one of which was carrying the patient.
The patient and his companion were successfully transferred to the PCG RHIB. During the RHIB’s return trip to the Sierra Madre, another CCG vessel maneuvered about 500 yards off the Philippine boat’s starboard, while CCG 5306 positioned itself about 600 yards off its port quarter, the PCG said.
A PCG medical officer checked the sailor’s vital signs and administered intravenous fluids.
The PCG said it monitored three CCG vessels as well as the Chinese maritime militia vessel Qiongsanshayu 00119 and the People’s Liberation Army Navy warship 628 during the operation.
PCG commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan called on the Chinese coast guard to respect the humanitarian nature of medical evacuation missions.
“When a life is at stake, there should be no water cannon, no obstruction and no delay,” Gavan said.
Ayungin Shoal, also known internationally as Second Thomas Shoal, is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea.
The 2016 arbitral award upheld the Philippines’ maritime rights in its EEZ, although it did not determine sovereignty over the shoal.
