Philippine Military Chief Demands China Return Seized Rifles and Pay Damages after South China Sea Clash

The Philippine military chief, General Romeo Brawner Jr., has demanded that China return several rifles and equipment seized by the Chinese coast guard in a disputed shoal and compensate for damages caused in an incident he likened to an act of piracy in the South China Sea.

On Monday, Chinese personnel aboard over eight motorboats repeatedly rammed and boarded two Philippine navy inflatable boats, preventing Filipino navy personnel from transferring food and supplies, including firearms, to a Philippine territorial outpost at Second Thomas Shoal, a territory also claimed by Beijing, according to Philippine officials.

During the violent confrontation, Chinese coast guard personnel damaged the boats with machetes, knives, and hammers, and seized eight M4 rifles, navigation equipment, and other supplies. Several Filipino navy personnel were injured, including one who lost his right thumb, two Philippine security officials revealed to The Associated Press.

The officials, speaking anonymously due to a lack of authorization to publicly discuss the sensitive conflict, described a chaotic faceoff. Video and photographs released by the Philippine military show Chinese personnel brandishing knives, axes, and sticks while surrounding the Philippine navy boats. Sirens blared as both sides yelled, and Chinese personnel smashed a Philippine navy boat with a pole, seizing what appeared to be a bag.

Images reveal significant damage to the Philippine navy boats, with slashed and deflated side floaters, shattered windshields, and navigational screens. One man displayed a damaged cellphone.

“We are demanding that the Chinese return our rifles and our equipment and we’re also demanding that they pay for the damage they caused,” General Brawner stated during a news conference in Palawan province, where he awarded a medal to the wounded navy officer. “They boarded our boats illegally and seized our equipment. They’re now like pirates with this kind of actions.”

General Brawner explained that the Chinese coast guard personnel, armed with long knives and machetes, attempted to beat the unarmed Filipinos, who resisted with their bare hands. “Our objective is also to prevent war,” he added. Some Chinese pointed their knives at the Filipino navy personnel, he noted.

China has accused the Philippines of causing the confrontation, claiming Filipino personnel trespassed into the shoal despite warnings. “This is the direct cause of the incident,” stated Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian in Beijing. “The Chinese coast guard at the scene has taken professional law-enforcement measures with restraint aimed at stopping the illegal supply mission by the Philippine vessels, and no direct measures were taken against the Philippine personnel.”

The United States renewed its warning on Tuesday that it is obligated to defend the Philippines, a treaty ally, against any attacks.

Second Thomas Shoal, part of the disputed Spratly Islands, has been occupied by a small Philippine navy contingent aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded warship monitored by China’s coast guard and navy. The vessel, deliberately grounded in 1999 to serve as a territorial outpost, remains an actively commissioned military vessel, meaning an attack on it could be considered an act of war by the Philippines.

Hostilities between China and the Philippines have escalated in the disputed waters, particularly at Second Thomas Shoal, which is less than 370 kilometers from the Philippine coast. The South China Sea, a region with multiple overlapping territorial claims, is a longstanding flashpoint that risks escalating into a larger conflict involving the United States and China.