The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) denounced on Friday, June 7, China’s alleged attempt to block a medical evacuation (medevac) of an ill Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) soldier in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
The incident occurred on May 19, the same day that Chinese authorities seized a food package meant for troops onboard BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.
“The barbaric and inhumane behavior displayed by the China Coast Guard has no place in our society,” said Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for WPS.
According to Tarriela, the PCG deployed a high speed response boat (HSRB) upon the request of the AFP to help evacuate a sick trooper onboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a Philippine Navy commissioned boat that serves as a military outpost in the disputed shoal.
The military tried to evacuate the sick trooper the day prior but AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. earlier told reporters that China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels had blocked them, prompting him to request for assistance from the PCG.
The PCG boat was supposed to rendezvous with the Philippine Navy’s (PN) rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) carrying the sick soldier.
However, during an attempt to bring the HSRB alongside the PN RHIB at the rendezvous point, the Filipino soldiers and coast guardians were allegedly blocked by CCG ships with bow number 21551 and 21555, two small boats, and two rubber boats.
In one of the videos shared by Tarriela about the incident, Filipino personnel could be heard talking to the Chinese maritime forces: "We're going to medevac some personnel. We're going to medevac. We have a sick personnel on that boat."
In another video, another Filipino personnel filmed how the big Chinese ships encircled the Philippine boats to avoid them from advancing.
“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 PN RHIB while transporting the sick personnel,” Tarriela said.
“Their actions clearly demonstrated their intention to prevent the sick personnel from receiving the proper medical attention he urgently needed,” he added.
Despite this, the PN and PCG managed to outmaneuver the Chinese vessels and completed the transfer of the sick soldier to Buliluyan Port in Bataraza, Palawan where he received immediate medical attention.