Military chief, General Romeo Brawner Jr., likened the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) personnel to “pirates” for Filipino troops conducting a rotational and resupply (RORE) operation in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

On Wednesday night, the Armed Forces of the Philippines released videos taken during a regular mission on 17 June.

In one video taken from the BRP Sierra Madre (LS 57), the CCG crew, carrying bladed weapons, appeared to be hijacking the military’s resupply items, blaring sirens, blinding strobe lights, and even physically attacking Filipino troops, intending to stop them from boarding the military outpost. 

Also seen in the video the outnumbered Filipino troops, aboard an AFP rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB), “valiantly” fought back and defended their position in the area after they were “brutally assaulted” by the CCG crew. 

The CCG crew were also aggressively ramming the AFP’s RHIBs and rubber boats, which resulted in a serious injury to a navy crew member. 

Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo, who is also a member of the Naval Special Operations Group (NAVSOG), lost his right thumb when the CCG rammed the boat that he was boarding.

Minutes later, the CCG crew deployed tear gas while continuously blaring sirens to further disrupt communication among Filipino soldiers. The CCG boarded the Philippine vessels.

Then, they began throwing rocks and other solid objects at the AFP personnel, which destroyed communication and navigational equipment, as well as seizing the military’s firearms, motors, and engines.

Another video showed the CCG personnel pointing weapons and knives toward Filipino troops and puncturing two RHIBs and two rubber boats of the AFP. 

The military official confirmed that the Chinese crew forcibly took seven “disassembled” long firearms from the Filipino troops and transferred the looted items to the CCG vessels. 

"For me, this is piracy already, 'no? Piracy. Because they boarded our boats illegally. They got our equipment, 'no? Again, parang mga pirata na po sila doon sa mga ginawa nilang actions na 'yun (they acted like pirates),” Brawner earlier told reporters in Palawan. 

“Only pirates do this. Only pirates board, steal, and destroy ships, equipment, and belongings.”

Brawner, meanwhile, dismissed claims that the AFP personnel were held hostage during the incident. 

“We are not hostage but the Chinese were able to board our rigid hull inflatable boats,” he stressed. 

Brawner said the AFP will demand China to return their rifles and other equipment they looted

“We are also demanding that they pay for the damage that they caused,” he added. 

AFP’s morale remains high

Despite the incident, Brawner said the morale of the AFP remains high. 

“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 China, the morale of the troops remains high,” Brawner said during his visit to the troops at the Wescom headquarters on 19 June. 

Brawner also had the opportunity to talk to the troops manning the BRP Sierra Madre outpost in Ayungin Shoal as well as those deployed in other detachments and littoral stations in the WPS via video teleconference (VTC).

“Nakita ko noong kausap ko sila, masaya sila. Their spirits are still high, they continue to display that determination and the courage that we need in this kind of job,” he said. 

Brawner said the way that soldiers and the Philippine Coast Guards acted during China’s latest aggression is “admirable and laudable.”

“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.

During his visit to Palawan, Brawner conferred a “wounded personnel medal” to Facundo, who was rescued by PCG through an emergency medical evacuation. 

Once he recovers, Facundo expressed willingness to go back to work and still defend the country’s sovereignty in the WPS.  

“Once you recover, do you have plans of returning [to duty]?” Brawner asked Facundo.

He responded. “Yes sir, any time, as long as there is an order.”

Brawner also awarded other military personnel who were involved in the recent RoRe operation and the previous successful airdrop mission.