The Chinese Coast Guard even blamed Philippine vessels for the incident.
Dangerous maneuvers by China Coast Guards and Chinese Maritime Militia. Screencap from footage courtesy of the Philippine Coast Guard/ @jaytaryela/X
The Philippines extended help to Chinese rubber boats in distress over the Ayungin Shoal, but instead of accepting assistance, the Chinese Coast Guard blamed Philippine vessels for the incident.
Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar narrated that one of China's Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats was entangled in a fishing line while it was tailing Philippine vessels en route to BRP Sierra Madre, a commissioned vessel grounded in Ayungin Shoal.
The Philippine forces immediately offered to help the boat, but the CCG refused to accept it and even blamed Filipino ships for the distress.
"They still have the guts to challenge our radio message—Philippine Coast Guard because of your maneuvers, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel came into problem," Aguilar said.
Aguilar described the radio message as "another narrative that they will tell their people."
"After this incident, they will come up with their own narrative to tell their people about what happened. We don't want the truth to be drowned by what happened," he lamented.
The incident happened during the delivery of fresh supplies to the country's permanent outpost in Ayungin in the West Philippine Sea on Friday, 7 September.
China also accused the Philippines of illegally entering the adjacent waters of Ren'ai Reef (Ayungin shoal) in its so-called Nansha Islands "without the permission of the Chinese government."
