Injured navy man: ‘It was no accident’

THE Philippine Navy personnel who lost his thumb during the June 17 Ayungin Shoal incident believes that China wanted to prevent rotation and resupply (RoRe) missions to the beached BRP Sierra Madre to reduce the number of Filipino soldiers manning the post.

SWORN TESTIMONY Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo takes his oath before testifying before the Committee on Foreign Relations hearing the collision between a Chinese coast guard ship and a Philippine vessel. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

Seaman First Class Jeffrey Facundo made the remark on Tuesday at the Senate inquiry on the reported ramming by China Coast Guard (CCG) boats of Philippine vessels on regular RoRe to the BRP Sierra Madre.

“It cannot be described as accident. It was intentional [specifically], the ramming [of our boats],” Facundo said in Filipino.

China had been demanding the Philippines to tow away the dilapidated warship because it sits on its territorial waters.

The Philippines deliberately beached the BRP Sierra Madre in 1999 to serve as a constant government presence in the area, and in response to China’s “illegal occupation” of Panganiban (Mischief) Reef in 1995.

Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo narrates the collision between a Chinese Coast Guard ship and a Filipino vessel performing rotation and resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal on June 17, 2024 during the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ hearing on June 25. PHOTOS BY RENE H. DILAN

Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo narrates the collision between a Chinese Coast Guard ship and a Filipino vessel performing rotation and resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal on June 17, 2024 during the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ hearing on June 25. PHOTOS BY RENE H. DILAN

Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo narrates the collision between a Chinese Coast Guard ship and a Filipino vessel performing rotation and resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal on June 17, 2024 during the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ hearing on June 25. PHOTOS BY RENE H. DILAN

Sen. Imee Marcos, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, asked Facundo why the CCG would do what it did.

Facundo said, in his view, the intention was to prevent PN personnel from conducting the RoRe mission to BRP Sierra Madre.

“They don’t want [us to conduct] RoRe, rotation [of soldiers] in Ayungin, ma’am. They prevented us from boarding the ship because they [wanted] to reduce the [number of] personnel [at the BRP Sierra Madre]. That’s my opinion, ma’am,” Facundo said.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros called for a de-escalation of tension at the West Philippine Sea and said China had violated not only international law but also the Filipinos’ human rights.

“This is unacceptable. Violence should not be committed on our seas. We must push for a de-escalation in the West Philippine Sea,” Hontiveros said.

She said the country must be prepared for continuous unlawful escalation by the Chinese government and be ready for any eventuality.

“Let us optimize every legal, political and diplomatic potential to preserve Philippine national interest in the region,” Hontiveros said.

Marcos said they needed to determine how the government can better protect Filipino servicemen and citizens during RoRe mission to Ayungin Shoal.

Meanwhile, former Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio said China’s recent attack on Filipino troops at the Ayungin Shoal was not armed, but could not be considered a “misunderstanding” or an “accident.”

However, he disagreed that the attack was a misunderstanding or an accident, which were the words of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

“Well, I agree it was not an armed attack, because no firearms were used, but I don’t agree that it was not planned, because the Chinese were prepared. There were several boats, and it cannot be a misunderstanding because that has been going on… every time we send a resupply [mission], they always try to stop it,” Carpio said.

“It cannot be an accident because they were prepared; they carried bladed weapons,” he added.

Carpio pointed out that the Chinese carried bladed weapons because they did not want the Philippines to invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States, which will turn into an actual armed attack.

“They carried only bladed weapons because they didn’t want us to invoke the [Mutual Defense] Treaty, because if they carried weapons, there would be firing, and we can invoke the treaty, because it will be an armed attack. So they realized that, and we also don’t want to use firearms because we don’t want to escalate,” he said. “They knew that we will never use firearms because our Navy was instructed not to use firearms… so they carried bladed weapons, and they were so sure that we would not use our firearms.”

Carpio said the United States said if any member of a Navy or Coast Guard is killed, those could be grounds to invoke the MDT, but pointed out that in the recent incident, nobody was killed.

He also said the Chinese were instructed to commit “acts that will fall just below an armed attack.”

Carpio said diplomatic protests against China are the only option, since the government cannot bring the issue to an arbitral tribunal, citing the successful 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

To avoid another incident with China, Carpio suggested that the Navy should bring teargas, stun guns and bladed weapons to even the field.