He conferred them with medals as a way to recognize their bravery.
On Thursday, July 23, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. personally visited two personnel of the Philippine Navy that were wounded after their encounter with members of the Chinese Coast Guard last Monday, July 20, near Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
During the visit, Marcos personally checked on the condition of the two servicemen who were identified as Seaman First Class Underwater Operator (S1UO) Carmelo Aballe and Private (Pvt.) Eric Lacida were injured while being deployed aboard BRP Sierra Madre, which is permanently stationed at Ayungin Shoal.
According to the Philippine Navy, Aballe sustained a head injury that required four stitches and remains in stable condition while undergoing continuous medical monitoring to determine whether medical evacuation would still be necessary.
Lacida, meanwhile, suffered minimal abrasions on his hand and is likewise in stable condition, with no need for medical evacuation.
The President then conferred the Order of Lapu-Lapu on Aballe and Lacida in recognition of their service and extended Special Financial Assistance (SFA) amounting to PHP100,000 each — which is separate from the benefits provided under the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Comprehensive Social Benefits Program (CSBP).
AFP STATEMENT
According to a previous statement by the Armed Forces of the Philippines last Monday, involved in the said aggressive encounter was a China Coast Guard rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) with eight personnel from vessel CCGV 21560.
It noted that the Chinese vessel “unlawfully approached within close range of BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal,” where they circled and took photos and videos prompting two AFP rubber boats to calmly and non-confrontationally drive it away.
However, the CCGV personnel zreacted violently and aggressively” by striking a Philippine Navy personnel on the head with a wooden baton, causing injury and damaging the Navy rubber boat operating within the area — where the Philippines enjoys sovereign rights under international law.
“These latest aggressive actions and assault by the CCGV demonstrate a blatant disregard for safety, endanger the lives of our personnel and escalates tensions in the West Philippine Sea,” noted the AFP.
It also lauded their personnel for exercising professionalism, discipline, and acting in accordance with the Rules of Engagement during their “lawful mission within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, in accordance with international law.”
They also called on the People’s Liberation Army and the China Coast Guard to include their maritime militia to put a stop to their “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions within the West Philippine Sea,” as well as “adhere to the 2016 Arbitral Award that affirms the Philippines’ lawful maritime rights under international law.”
“Our lawful presence and sustainment operations in Ayungin Shoal will continue. No act of coercion or aggression will deter us from carrying out our constitutional mandate or exercising the Philippines’ lawful rights in the West Philippine Sea,” the AFP furthered.
ASEAN-CHINA COC
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China are making significant progress toward concluding the long-awaited Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea by the end of the year.
“On the South China Sea, what was given attention is the code of conduct that ASEAN and China are geared towards… hopefully the conclusion of the code of conduct by the end of this year,” said Lazaro.
She added that negotiations have also continued on the COC’s geographical scope, legal nature, and its relationship with the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
Lazaro further stressed that the proposed COC remains anchored on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), respects the rights of third parties, and seeks to establish rules governing conduct and behavior at sea.
Asked whether recent developments in the South China Sea, including incidents involving Ayungin Shoal and Scarborough Shoal, could affect the negotiations, Lazaro said such developments form part of the ongoing discussions on the COC.