The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) refuted claims that it had asked for permission from the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) to conduct a medical evacuation for two injured soldiers on the BRP Sierra Madre, according to a Wednesday report by RH 52 Edniel Parrosa.

In a statement, the AFP stressed that it does not need to request authorization from any nation to operate within the Philippines’ own exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

It repudiated the claim, calling it a “false narrative” that creates the impression of China’s control over Philippine territory.

“The Philippines does not ask for, nor does it require, the permission of any foreign nation to conduct operations within its own Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ),” the military said in a statement dated July 21, noting that Ayungin Shoal is well within the country’s 200-nautical-mile EEZ.

“Any claim by the CCG that it ‘permitted’ the operation is a false narrative intended to project illegitimate authority where none exists,” it added.

Previously, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) announced that its humanitarian assistance was a success despite the CCG’s alleged blocking maneuvers.

A Navy personnel sustained a head wound, while another suffered an arm injury following an altercation with CCG crew members on Monday, July 20.

The Department of National Defense (DND) and the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) earlier condemned the CCG’s “violent and unlawful” beating of a Filipino soldier with a wooden baton.

The DND pointed out that this latest act of aggression was only part of a “clear pattern” of provocation and hostility, reinforcing China’s “deficit of trust and credibility.”