Injured AFP personnel rescued after 12-hour standoff — Tarriela

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela confirmed that it took them over 12 hours to rescue injured Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel from BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal last Monday.

In an interview with Palace reporters on Friday, Tarriela said the delay stemmed from the standoff with China Coast Guard and People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy) vessels in the area during the rescue operation.

Tarriela said the operation aimed to retrieve a damaged AFP rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) and conduct medical evacuation for injured Filipino personnel onboard the BRP Sierra Madre.

"We learned about the injured AFP personnel as early as 10 am. The two vessels that we deployed there, BRP Cabra and BRP Bagacay, launched their RHIBs because we knew what happened to the AFP's RHIB during their resupply mission attempt," Tarriela said.

The official said the PCG had two objectives: retrieve the damaged AFP RHIBs towed by the Chinese Coast Guard and conduct medical evacuation for the injured.

"It took us two hours to secure our damaged RHIB. For the AFP personnel, it wasn't until around 10:30 pm that we were able to get them. For the AFP personnel, it wasn't until around 10:30 pm that we were able to get them," Tarriela said.

"Despite our coordinating efforts with the Chinese coast guard, we were subjected to dangerous maneuvers and harassment from both the Chinese coast guard and PLA Navy vessels," Tarriela added.

Tarriela also mentioned that the Chinese coast guard's RHIBs further harassed the Filipino-owned RHIBs.

"We had a hard time outmaneuvering them and convincing them to allow us to retrieve the injured," Tarriela said.

He said the PCG communicated their intent to conduct a medical evacuation since there are injured AFP personnel onboard BRP Sierra Madre.

But despite that advisory and radio call, Tarriela said the PCG were still subjected to harassment.

While not explicitly told they couldn't retrieve the personnel, the situation made it difficult.

"There was no specific guidance that we cannot retrieve. The challenge was getting those injured personnel so we could bring them to Palawan for medical attention," said Tarriela.

The latest clash with the CCG represents a significant increase in Beijing's ongoing expansion into Philippine maritime territories.

Philippine Navy personnel were assaulted by CCG members, resulting in injuries to eight crewmen, with one losing a thumb.

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero stated that the Senate plans to receive a comprehensive update from the Department of Foreign Affairs regarding the recent Ayungin Shoal incident.

The Philippines, together with the Pentagon, have condemned the altercation.

Ayungin Shoal, located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan, falls within the Philippines' 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and forms part of its continental shelf.

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. has not yet issued a statement regarding the incident, which caused injuries to seven servicemen, including one who lost a thumb.