PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. condemned the alleged assault by China Coast Guard (CCG) personnel on a Philippine Navy sailor near Second Thomas Shoal, Malacañang said on Tuesday, adding that the government would continue pursuing diplomatic means to address tensions in the South China Sea.
China summoned Manila’s ambassador over the confrontation at the shoal that’s also called Ayungin, accusing Manila of provoking the incident and misrepresenting what transpired.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) rejected Beijing’s account of the incident as “false and misleading.”
“The President condemns the incident,” Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told a news briefing in Filipino.
The Palace said Mr. Marcos supports the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Department of National Defense and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in denouncing Monday’s confrontation near the shoal.
“The DFA is in coordination with the AFP regarding the details of the incident. Any act of violence against Filipino personnel is unacceptable and will merit the appropriate diplomatic action,” Ms. Castro said, quoting the agency.
“The President does not desire these kinds of incidents. His policy is that we must address such events through diplomatic means. Therefore, what is happening between our country and China is truly unacceptable,” she added.
The Palace also rejected China’s account of the encounter after Beijing claimed Philippine personnel ignored warnings, escalated tensions and attacked Chinese officers with paddles.
“The mandate of our officials and Filipino personnel is fully consistent with our rights and our laws,” Ms. Castro said. “Whatever narrative they choose to present is up to them. We stand firm on our rights and on the proper actions of our officials and personnel.”
The incident came ahead of a scheduled bilateral meeting on Wednesday between Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila.
Beijing said it summoned the Philippine ambassador to China.
“The Philippine side provoked the incident first, yet has turned around and made counteraccusations, distorted the facts and engaged in malicious hype,” it said in a statement.
The US condemned what it described as China’s “dangerous and aggressive actions” against Philippine Navy personnel and urged Beijing to “immediately cease its destabilizing conduct.”
In a statement posted on its website, the US Department of State said China’s “troubling pattern of provocation against lawful Philippine maritime operations” undermines regional peace and stability and contradicts its repeated commitments to resolve disputes peacefully.
“We stand with our ally the Philippines and commend the professionalism and restraint shown by Philippine Navy personnel in this incident,” it said.
The State Department also reaffirmed the July 2016 arbitral ruling that voided China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, saying the decision is “final and legally binding” on both China and the Philippines.
“We will continue to stand with our allies and partners in defense of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” it added.
‘MALICIOUS ATTACKS’
The China Coast Guard claimed two Philippine rubber boats deployed from the grounded BRP Sierra Madre rammed a Chinese patrol boat and that Philippine personnel launched “malicious attacks” against Chinese law enforcement officers using oars and long sticks. It described the Philippine actions as “egregious in nature.”
The CCG also said it had allowed the transfer of the injured Philippine serviceman from the BRP Sierra Madre “out of humanitarian consideration.”
“The CCG inquired and verified the Philippine boats, and monitored the whole process,” CCG Spokesperson Jiang Lue said, adding that China would continue conducting what it described as law enforcement operations around the disputed shoal.
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The AFP rejected China’s version of events, insisting that Philippine personnel did not initiate the confrontation and that Chinese personnel had unlawfully entered waters where the Philippines exercises sovereign rights under international law.
“Why was a China Coast Guard RHIB (rigid-hulled inflitable boat) operating within close proximity of BRP Sierra Madre?” the AFP said in a statement. “Its presence was an unlawful intrusion into an area where the Philippines exercises sovereign rights under international law.”
The military earlier said a Philippine Navy serviceman suffered a head injury after being struck with a wooden baton by CCG personnel during Monday’s encounter. It also said one Navy rubber boat sustained damage.
Separately, Mr. Marcos appointed Lieutenant General Antonio G. Nafarrete as AFP chief of staff, replacing the retiring General Romeo S. Brawner, Jr., the Department of National Defense said.
The department also named Lieutenant General Donald M. Gumiran, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, as the commanding general of the Philippine Army.
Meanwhile, Australia announced a P413-million assistance package for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to boost its maritime surveillance capabilities.
The Australian Embassy in Manila said the four-year package includes aerial and underwater drones, counter-drone systems, and operator training.
The latest commitment brings Australia’s drone assistance to the PCG to P578 million since April 2025, when it donated 35 drones and training for Philippine personnel.
Australia also pledged P678 million in bilateral civil maritime assistance over the next four years through its Civil Maritime Advancement through Partnerships and Support program. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking and Pexcel John Bacon with Reuters
