Senator Robin Padilla Condemns Alleged China Coast Guard Assault in WPS

Senator Robin Padilla has strongly condemned the alleged assault by the China Coast Guard (CCG) on Philippine Navy personnel during a confrontation at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Padilla described the reported clubbing of a Filipino Navy sailor as not merely a "simple altercation" but a "blatant affront" to Filipino troops performing their duties within waters covered by the Philippines' maritime rights and jurisdiction under international law. "Sobra na (Enough is enough)," he stated, adding that the Philippines' continued restraint has been met with escalating intimidation and violence from the Chinese side. The senator urged the Philippine government to take "stronger and more concrete" measures to protect Filipino personnel and uphold the country's maritime rights in the WPS. He also called on authorities to hold those responsible for the alleged assault accountable, emphasizing that diplomatic protests alone are no longer sufficient if such incidents persist. "I do not support war. But neither do I support allowing our desire for peace to be exploited and mistaken for weakness. The China Coast Guard has gone too far," Padilla said. On Monday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) accused the CCG of clubbing a Filipino sailor with a baton as they approached a grounded vessel that has long served as a Philippine garrison in the WPS. The Philippines stated that a Chinese rigid-hull inflatable boat carrying eight men had circled and taken photos and video of the BRP Sierra Madre, which sits on the flashpoint Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in the Spratly archipelago. "These latest aggressive actions and assault by the CCGV demonstrate a blatant disregard for safety, endanger the lives of our personnel and escalates tensions in the West Philippine Sea," the AFP had said. Meanwhile, the CCG claimed that Philippine personnel "first attacked Chinese law personnel with paddles and sticks" during an encounter in the West Philippine Sea. Source: GMA News Philippines