Philippine Coast Guard Accuses China Of Blocking Sick Marine Evacuation In South China Sea

Philippine coast guard ship BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301). (Wikimedia Commons/Philippine Coast Guard)

The Philippine coast guard on Friday accused China of being "barbar and inhumane" for obstructing attempts to evacuate members of its armed forces ill in the South China Sea.

The incident, which the Philippines said took place last month, involved a marine member assigned to guard BRP Sierra Madre, a Philippine ship that ran aground in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, the site of repeated confrontation with China last year.

A spokesman for the Jay Coast Guard Tarriela said coast guard ships and the navy were disturbed by Chinese ships, although they had informed them the operation was medical.

"The barbaric and inhumane behavior shown by the Chinese Coast Guard has no place in our society," Tarriela said in a statement.

Tarriela said China's coast guard was "involved in a dangerous maneuver and accidentally hit" a naval ship while transporting sick personnel.

"What should be a simple medical evacuation operation is actually the target of harassment," said Tarriela.

Earlier, Philippine Military Commander General Romeo Brawner Jr. said on Tuesday the first attempt to transport sick soldiers to the western province of Palawan failed after they were blocked by China.

Another effort was made the next day with the help of the Philippine coast guard and the army successfully evacuated, said General Brawner.

Separately, China's Foreign Ministry on Friday said it would allow the Philippines to deliver supplies and evacuate personnel if Manila notified Beijing before the mission.

"However, the Philippines should not use this as an excuse to transport construction materials to its naval vessels in an attempt to permanently occupy Ren'ai Jiao," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a briefing.

The Bamboo Curtain Country named Second Thomas Shoal as Ren'ai Jiao.

The Philippines and China have clashed repeatedly last year near disputed territories belonging to Manila's exclusive economic zone. China routinely accuses the Philippines of a temporary violation of Manila and her allies of condemning what Beijing calls aggression.

China is known to claim almost the entire South China Sea, a ship trade route worth more than $3 trillion per year.

Beijing deployed hundreds of coast guard ships as far as 1,000 km from its mainland to oversee what it said was its jurisdiction.

In 2016, a Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said China's claim had no legal basis, a decision Beijing rejected.