A China Coast Guard crew struck a Philippine Navy sailor on the head with a wooden baton and damaged a Navy rubber boat during a confrontation near BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal on July 20, the Armed Forces of the Philippines announced — marking one of the most direct instances of physical violence reported against Filipino military personnel in the West Philippine Sea.
The AFP said the injured sailor received immediate medical attention aboard the grounded vessel. Western Command was still determining as of the announcement whether the injuries would require a medical evacuation, according to the AFP's Public Affairs Office.
Chinese Vessel Crew Boards Rubber Boat, Approaches BRP Sierra Madre
According to the AFP's Public Affairs Office, a rigid hull inflatable boat carrying eight personnel from China Coast Guard vessel CCGV 21560 unlawfully approached BRP Sierra Madre at close range. The Chinese crew circled the vessel and took photos and video of the grounded warship.
Two AFP rubber boats moved to intercept and drive the Chinese craft away, with the military describing its personnel's actions as calm and non-confrontational. The Chinese personnel then reacted violently — striking a Philippine Navy sailor on the head with a wooden baton and damaging one of the Navy's rubber boats.
The entire encounter took place inside waters where the Philippines exercises sovereign rights under international law, the AFP said.
AFP Condemns Attack, Vows Continued Presence at Shoal
The AFP condemned the incident as a blatant disregard for safety that endangered the lives of its personnel and escalated tensions in the West Philippine Sea. Despite the aggression, the military said its personnel exercised professionalism and discipline, acting within the Rules of Engagement while carrying out a lawful mission inside the country's exclusive economic zone.
The AFP made clear that its presence at Ayungin Shoal will not change. In its statement, the military said that no act of coercion or aggression will deter it from carrying out its constitutional mandate, and that lawful presence and sustainment operations at the shoal will continue.
AFP Calls on Beijing to Halt Coercive Actions
The AFP called on the People's Liberation Army, the China Coast Guard, and Chinese maritime militia to halt what it described as illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions in the West Philippine Sea.
The military also urged China to adhere to the 2016 arbitral award — the ruling by a tribunal constituted under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that invalidated Beijing's expansive maritime claims and affirmed Philippine sovereign rights in the area. China has never recognized the ruling.
The statement was released by Col. Xerxes A. Trinidad, chief of the AFP Public Affairs Office.
Ayungin Shoal and the BRP Sierra Madre
Ayungin Shoal, known internationally as Second Thomas Shoal, lies within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II-era landing ship, was deliberately grounded there in 1999 and hosts a small rotating Marine detachment, serving as the physical anchor of the Philippine territorial claim.
Resupply and rotation missions to the vessel have repeatedly drawn Chinese interference over the years, including water cannon use, blocking maneuvers, and vessel collisions. The July 20 incident is notable for involving direct physical contact with a weapon against a Philippine serviceman — a significant escalation from previous confrontations.
By the Numbers
- 8 — personnel aboard the Chinese rigid hull inflatable boat from CCGV 21560
- 2 — AFP rubber boats deployed to intercept the Chinese craft
- 1 — Philippine Navy sailor struck on the head with a wooden baton
- 1999 — year BRP Sierra Madre was deliberately grounded at Ayungin Shoal
- 200 nautical miles — extent of the Philippine exclusive economic zone where the incident occurred
- 2016 — year of the arbitral award under UNCLOS affirming Philippine rights at the shoal
Why This Matters
The July 20 incident represents one of the most direct and documented instances of physical violence by Chinese maritime forces against Filipino military personnel in the West Philippine Sea, involving the use of a weapon against a serviceman in Philippine sovereign waters. The AFP's confirmation of the attack — and its explicit vow that operations at Ayungin Shoal will continue regardless — signals a firm stand against what Manila describes as escalating Chinese coercion. The incident adds renewed urgency to the Philippines' longstanding calls for China to comply with the 2016 UNCLOS arbitral ruling, which Beijing continues to reject.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of AFP Public Affairs Office