It was neither a “misunderstanding” nor an “accident,” with Filipinos forced to use their bare hands to fend off Chinese coast guard personnel who boarded their boats and resorted to “illegal use of force” to stop them from completing a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, officials said yesterday. In a joint statement, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., National Security Adviser Eduardo Año and acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro also stressed that the Philippine government would never seek permission or consent from anyone in performing its sworn duties, including the sending of supplies to Filipino troops stationed on the Sierra Madre.

Romero, A., Flores, H., Crisostomo, S., Galvez, D., & Villeza, M. E. (2024, June 25). 'China used illegal force to stop Ayungin mission'. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 4.