The morale of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) troops remain high even after the China Coast Guard’s (CCG) recent aggression during a rotation and reprovision (RORE) mission in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal which led to a severe injury inflicted on a Philippine Navy (PN) personnel.
This was assured by the AFP Chief of Staff, General Romeo Brawner Jr., who visited the troops in Palawan on Wednesday, June 19, to check on their morale and welfare, particularly those involved in the June 17 resupply mission.
“Nakausap ko mismo ‘yung mga personnel natin who were involved in the RORE mission that we just conducted. Nakita ko naman despite the fact na nagkaroon ng ganitong aggression ang China, mataas pa rin ang morale ng tropa (I personally talked to our personnel who were involved in the RORE mission that we just conducted. I saw that despite the fact that there was this kind of aggression from Chia, the morale of the troops remain high),” he said.
Brawner also had the opportunity to talk to the troops manning the BRP Sierra Madre outpost in Ayungin Shoal via video teleconference (VTC), as well as those deployed in other detachments and littoral stations in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and in Palawan.
“Nakita ko noong kausap ko sila, masaya sila (They were happy when I talked to them). Their spirits are still high, they continue to display that determination and the courage na kailangan po natin sa trabahong ito (that we need in this kind of job),” the military chief noted.
“Kahanga-hanga po ang ginawa ng ating mga kasundaluhan at ng [Philippine] Coast Guard sa latest RORE mission na ginawa natin (The actions of our troops and the Philippine Coast Guard during the latest RORE mission that we conducted were admirable). Despite the very aggressive actions of the Chinese Coast Guard and the Chinese militia, we were able to restrain them from pursuing further the disruptions of the operation,” he added.
On June 17, the AFP performed a resupply mission but the CCG, Chinese navy, and Chinese maritime militia performed dangerous maneuvers and blocking operations to stop it.
The incident resulted to a severe injury inflicted on a PN personnel.
Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo, a member of the PN’s Naval Special Operations Group (NAVSOG), lost his right thumb when a Chinese rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) rammed the boat that he was boarding.
Facundo was rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in an emergency medical evacuation. On Wednesday, he received a wounded personnel medal from Brawner.
The CCG personnel also boarded one of the AFP boats, seized the firearms of the troops as well as motors and engines, and destroyed communication and navigational equipment, according to the AFP.