GMA News
Navy man who lost thumb in Ayungin encounter: China actions 'intentional'
A Filipino soldier lost a thumb during a June 17 confrontation with the China Coast Guard (CCG) on a resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal.
Seaman First Class Jeffrey Facundo, who was part of a Naval Special Operations Unit, sustained the injury when a CCG vessel rammed their boat.
Facundo testified before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations that the CCG's actions, including ramming and damaging Philippine boats, were "intentional" and not accidental.
He stated that the CCG vessels rammed their boats without warning, and that the Chinese cut the ropes on the BRP Sierra Madre.
Facundo added that the CCG's intention was to prevent resupply and personnel rotation at Ayungin Shoal.
The CCG also reportedly attempted to seize equipment during the encounter.
Despite the aggression, AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner emphasized that Filipino soldiers fought back.
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A Philippine Navy sailor, Seaman First Class Jeffrey Facundo, sustained severe injury, losing his right thumb, after the China Coast Guard intentionally rammed and boarded Philippine vessels during a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal on June 17.
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Personnel from the China Coast Guard (CCG) used bladed weapons, including bolos, pickaxes, and knives, and threw rocks during a resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal on June 17.
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Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro stated that the Chinese harassment of a June 17 resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal was not a misunderstanding or accident, but a deliberate and illegal use of force intended to prevent the Philippines from completing its mission.
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The Philippines, through its Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), has condemned China's recent aggressive actions near Ayungin Shoal, which resulted in injuries and vessel damage during a resupply mission.
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Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels were subjected to harassment, including dangerous maneuvers, by China Coast Guard (CCG) ships, militia boats, and a helicopter during a rescue mission near Ayungin Shoal on Monday, June 17.
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