The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) on Wednesday repudiated the China Coast Guard’s (CCG) claim that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was granted authorization to conduct the medical evacuation at Ayungin Shoal, revealing that CCG personnel attempted to obstruct the transfer of the injured soldiers.
“During the evacuation, China Coast Guard rigid-hull inflatable boats repeatedly executed dangerous blocking maneuvers that hindered the safe transfer of the wounded servicemen to Philippine Coast Guard vessels,” the task force said.
“These actions unnecessarily increased the risks to a time-critical humanitarian mission,” it explained.
The task force pointed out that the narrative that, as an “act of humanitarian goodwill,” the CCG permitted the operation, is contrary to their coast guard crew’s actual conduct during the operation.
“Humanitarian medical evacuations are urgent, life-saving operations that should never be obstructed or exploited to advance unlawful maritime claims,” it emphasized.
The NTF-WPS also asserted that the Philippines does not need China’s permission to carry out its operations within its maritime territory, in line with national and international laws.
On Tuesday, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said that the Philippines does not ask for, nor does it need to request authorization to operate within its own exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“Ayungin Shoal is a low-tide elevation within the Philippine EEZ and continental shelf, as conclusively ruled by the 2016 Arbitral Award. BRP Sierra Madre is a commissioned Philippine Navy vessel lawfully stationed there. There is nothing “illegal” about a sovereign state’s presence in its own maritime zones — only about a foreign coast guard operating 600 nautical miles from its nearest coast,” he said in a social media post.
The rear admiral noted that the humanitarian operation was necessitated by the CCG’s own “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive intrusion” wherein a CCG crew member struck a Filipino sailor on the head with a wooden baton.
