AFP honors Navy officer injured in China Coast Guard ramming

From ABS-CBN (Jun 19, 2024): AFP honors Navy officer injured in China Coast Guard ramming (By Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, Dennis Datu)

MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday awarded a Philippine Navy personnel who sustained "serious" injury during the June 17 resupply mission in Ayungin shoal that was allegedly harassed by Chinese forces.

• DFA calls out China over injuries to troops, damage to boat

Seaman First Class Jeffrey Facundo received a "wounded personnel medal" from AFP chief Romeo Brawner, who personally visited the bedridden sailor.

"Magpagaling ka, huwag ka mawalan ng pag-asa, nandito kami. Kung may mga kailangan ka sabihan mo lang kami," Brawner told the wounded Navy personnel.

Facundo thanked the AFP for the medal but refused to answer reporters' questions about his injury and what happened during the resupply mission.

"May nakakataas po sa 'min na sasagot," he said.

• Int'l community rallies behind PH amid new Ayungin incident

Government officials have been mum about the details of the recent resupply mission in Ayungin shoal, but sources said at least 8 sailors were wounded, including one who allegedly lost a finger.

On Tuesday, several allies expressed solidarity with Philippines, with the United States reiterating its mutual defense pact with Manila.

US to stand by Philippines amid China's 'provocative' actions — Pentagon

Ayungin Shoal hosts a tiny Philippine garrison stationed on a deliberately beached old warship. It has been a focus of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to the disputed area.

Shortly after the incident, the Chinese coast guard reported that a Philippine resupply ship in the area had "ignored many solemn warnings from the Chinese side".

It "approached the... Chinese vessel in an unprofessional way, resulting in a collision", Beijing said, accusing the ship of having "illegally broken into the sea near Ren'ai Reef".

"The Chinese Coast Guard took control measures against the Philippine ship in accordance with the law," it added.

But the Philippine armed forces called China's version of events "misleading", decrying "the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone".

Manila's national task force on the West Philippine Sea later said the Chinese vessels had "engaged in dangerous manoeuvres, including ramming and towing".

"Their actions put at risk the lives of our personnel and damaged our boats," it said.

– With a report from Agence France-Presse

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/19/afp-honors-navy-officer-injured-in-china-coast-guard-ramming-1226