SUMMARY
MANILA, Philippines – It took the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) around 12 hours to rescue personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who got wounded after the China Coast Guard (CCG) rammed a Philippine Navy vessel on Monday, June 17, in an attempt to disrupt Manila’s resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal.
The incident saw CCG officers use tear gas, brandish bladed weapons, tug at the Philippine Navy’s rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs), and throw rocks at soldiers moored beside the BRP Sierra Madre, the dilapidated ship that serves as the Philippines’ outpost in Ayungin Shoal.
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela told reporters in a chance interview on Friday, June 21, that they learned about the incident at 10 am on Monday, but the rescue of the…