President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. condemned the alleged assault by China Coast Guard personnel on a Philippine Navy sailor near Second Thomas Shoal, stating that the government will pursue diplomatic solutions to address tensions in the South China Sea.
China has summoned Manila’s ambassador over the confrontation, accusing the Philippines of provoking the incident and misrepresenting what transpired.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines rejected Beijing’s account, calling it false and misleading, and affirmed that Philippine personnel did not initiate the confrontation.
Palace officials emphasized that any act of violence against Filipino personnel is unacceptable and would prompt appropriate diplomatic action, while underscoring a preference for resolving such events through dialogue.
The Philippine side also disputed China’s claim that its own personnel ignored warnings, escalated tensions, and attacked Chinese officers with paddles, asserting that its actions were consistent with national rights and laws.
The incident occurred ahead of a scheduled meeting between Philippine and Chinese foreign ministers at an ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Manila.
China’s statement described the Philippine side as having provoked the incident, distorted facts, and engaged in “malicious hype.”
The United States condemned China’s actions as dangerous and aggressive, urged an immediate halt to destabilizing conduct, and reaffirmed the 2016 arbitral ruling that voided China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea.
China Coast Guard officials claimed that two Philippine rubber boats had rammed a Chinese patrol boat and that Philippine personnel had launched “malicious attacks” using oars and long sticks, while noting the transfer of an injured Philippine serviceman as a humanitarian act.
In response, the Armed Forces questioned the presence of a China Coast Guard rigid-hulled inflatable boat near the BRP Sierra Madre, labeling it an unlawful intrusion into an area where Philippine sovereign rights apply under international law.
A Philippine Navy serviceman suffered a head injury after being struck with a wooden baton by China Coast Guard personnel, and one Navy rubber boat sustained damage during the encounter.
President Marcos also appointed Lieutenant General Antonio G. Nafarrete as chief of staff of the Armed Forces and Lieutenant General Donald M. Gumiran as commander of the Philippine Army.
The Philippine Coast Guard received a P413‑million assistance package to enhance maritime surveillance, including aerial and underwater drones, counter‑drone systems, and operator training, with further civil maritime assistance pledged over the next four years.
