The Philippine Navy on Tuesday confirmed that China attempted to block the country’s emergency medical evacuation of its sick personnel stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

Navy spokesperson for the WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, in a press conference in Camp Aguinaldo, said the Philippine Coast Guard successfully concluded the medical evacuation efforts despite blockage by the China Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia. 

“The bigger picture is that there was a personnel who needed to be evacuated, he was successfully evacuated,” Trinidad told reporters. 

Trinidad said the navy crew member was immediately brought to Camp Ricarte Station Hospital in the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command. 

However, he did not give any specific details on the ground operation. 

“From the perspective of the AFP we were able to successfully evacuate one of our personnel,” he added. 

Based on the AFP’s account, it is not the first time that the CCG interrupted the Philippines’ medical evacuation. 

In a similar event on 19 May, China blocked the PCG’s deployment of a high-speed response boat (HSRB) that was assisting the navy’s rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) in conducting a medical evacuation of sick personnel from a dilapidated commissioned Philippine Navy ship. 

Last 17 June, the AFP also conducted a medical evacuation after the CCG ship intentionally rammed the Philippine vessel conducting a rotational and re-provisional mission at the BRP Sierra Madre.