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Business Insider

Filipino soldiers who reportedly used their bare hands to fight off Chinese coastguards armed with swords and knives were awarded medals by the Philippines for de-escalating tensions.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr bestowed the Order of Lapu-Lapu on 80 soldiers on Sunday, according to the Manila Bulletin.
“I salute the 80 officers and troops who sailed the waters and exercised the greatest restraint amid intense provocation,” he said, adding: “You demonstrated to the world that the Filipino spirit is one that is brave, determined, and yet is compassionate.”
The newspaper reported that 79 Filipino soldiers received the Kamagi Medal, with Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo receiving the Kampilan Medal, an award given to individuals who are “seriously” wounded or injured.

On June 17, Chinese coastguard personnel rammed their boats into Filipino vessels and boarded and attacked them, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which shared photos of the confrontation.
Two days after the incident, the Philippines also released a video that it said showed China Coast Guard personnel wielding an axe, flinging rocks, and slashing boats with “bladed and pointed weapons.”
General Romeo Brawner, the Philippines’ top military commander, criticised China for what he described as “reckless and aggressive” behaviour, which he said happened while the Philippines navy and coastguard were delivering supplies to soldiers in the disputed South China Sea.
He said that the clash resulted in injuries and one soldier losing a thumb.
Brawner described the incident as “a blatant violation of international maritime law, Philippine sovereignty, and sovereign rights.”


But China has defended the move, with China’s foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian saying it acted in accordance with the law.
The incident is being seen as the latest aggressive act from Beijing in the South China Sea, with others involving lasers, water cannons, maritime militias, and even the alleged poisoning of fishing waters.
However, this latest move by the Philippines is unlikely to calm tensions in the contested waters, and is likely to be seen as a further provocation by China.
“As we award these medals, we remember that on June 17, we made a conscious and deliberate choice to remain in the path of peace,” Marcos Jnr said when bestowing the medals, the Manila Bulletin reported.

China has claimed sovereignty over the South China Sea for decades, a claim that was roundly rejected in The Hague in 2016.
On June 15, China enacted a law allowing its coastguard to detain foreign vessels and people in waters under China’s jurisdiction for up to 60 days, according to a paper by the US Indo-Pacific Command.
Sari Arho Havrén, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute specialising in China’s foreign relations, said that China wants to change the status quo in the waters “by force” and aims to “exhaust” neighbouring countries into giving in to its territorial claims.
This article was first published by Business Insider


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South China Sea

Filipino troops who fought axe-wielding Chinese coastguards with bare hands get medals

Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner Jnr pins a medal on Jeffrey Facundo, who lost a thumb in the clash on June 17. Photo: Handout/Armed Forces of the Philippines/AP

Chinese coastguard personnel hold an axe as they approach Filipino troops on a resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on June 17. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines/Handout via AP

This screengrab from a video shows Chinese coastguard personnel aboard inflatable boats blocking Philippine navy boats (centre) during a confrontation in the South China Sea on June 17. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines/Handout via AFP

South China Sea: Marcos Jnr’s late response to clash marks Manila’s muted stance, diplomacy

Chinese coastguard personnel brandish what appear to be knives, machetes and other weapons as they approach Philippine troops in the South China Sea on June 17. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines/Handout via AP

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr speaks to troops at the Philippines’ South China Sea Forces Headquarters in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on Sunday. Photo: Presidential Communications Office/Handout via AFP

Chinese coastguard personnel brandish what appear to be knives, machetes and other weapons as they approach Philippine troops on a resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal on Monday last week. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines/Handout via AP

Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner Jnr on Wednesday pins a medal on a navy sailor injured during a clash with the Chinese coastguard. Photo: Armed Forced of the Philippines/Handout via EPA-EFE

South China Sea: Philippines to stop announcing resupply missions amid push for Beijing talks

The BRP Sierra Madre on the contested Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin, in the South China Sea, in March 2023. Photo: Reuters

Chinese coastguard personnel hold knives and machetes as they approach Philippine troops on a resupply mission in the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on June 17. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP

South China Sea: Philippines’ anti-ship missile base puts Scarborough Shoal in cross hairs

A satellite image shows construction of a likely BrahMos missile site at Philippine Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui in Zambales province. Photo: Google Earth/Handout

A High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is fired during a live-fire exercise in the Philippines’ Zambales province, near the new BrahMos base. Photo: Reuters

The Philippine frigate Jose Rizal (foreground) sails past a US littoral combat ship during tactical exercises last year. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines/Handout via AP

China’s ramming of Philippine ship stops short of invoking US defence treaty

Philippine coastguard personnel prepare rubber fenders after Chinese coastguard vessels blocked their way to a resupply mission at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on March 5. Photo: Reuters

A dilapidated but still active Philippine Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre sits at the Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, at the disputed South China Sea. Photo: AP

US and Philippine Marines officers link arms during US-Philippines joint Marines Military Exercises opening ceremony inside a military base in Taguig city, Metro Manila, on June 3. Photo: EPA-EFE

Activists tear paper near the Chinese consulate in Makati, Philippines to protest against the continued aggression of China in the disputed South China Sea. Photo: AP

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Southeast Asia

The soldiers reportedly used their bare hands to fend off armed coastguard personnel in the South China Sea clash. One man lost a thumb


The soldiers reportedly used their bare hands to fend off armed coastguard personnel in the South China Sea clash. One man lost a thumb.
