Philippine Navy Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo has regained full use of his thumb after a June 17 clash with the China Coast Guard (CCG) near Ayungin Shoal, during which the CCG rammed his vessel.
On November 4, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. confirmed that the Makati Medical Foundation worked with AFP doctors to reattach Facundo’s severed thumb.
“His finger has been restored. It is now functioning well, normally,” Brawner told reporters in Quezon City. He acknowledged the medical partnership, saying: “With the help of our doctors and partners, such as the Makati Medical Foundation, the soldier’s thumb has been restored.”
Facundo sustained his injury when the CCG’s rigid-hull inflatable boat collided with his vessel during a resupply mission. After the collision, CCG personnel reportedly deployed tear gas, disrupted communications with loud sirens, and forcibly boarded Philippine vessels.
The CCG then seized seven disassembled firearms from Filipino troops, reportedly fearing that Philippine personnel were transporting construction materials for the BRP Sierra Madre — a World War II ship grounded on Ayungin Shoal in 1999 as a statement of Philippine sovereignty in the contested waters.
Following his successful surgery two months ago, Facundo rejoined duty in the West Philippine Sea, where he and his team continue operations in one of the region’s most disputed areas.
This location, situated 105 nautical miles west of Palawan, lies within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
During the June incident, Philippine military footage captured Chinese personnel wielding an axe to slash a Filipino rubber boat, which prompted Manila to condemn the act as “brazen aggression.”
This incident injured Facundo and seven other personnel. In response, the Philippines issued a note verbale to China, drawing attention to the severity of Facundo’s injury.
Chinese Coast Guard personnel brandished axe and bladed weapons, threatening AFP troops during a humanitarian mission at BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal on June 17. Photos credit: AFP
Philippines renews demand for China to pay US$1 million
The Philippines has also renewed its demand for China to pay P60 million (US$1 million) in compensation for the damage caused.
Brawner emphasized that the payment would cover the cost of two inflatable boats destroyed in the clash and the return of the seven firearms seized by CCG personnel.
“The P60 million doesn’t even include the damage caused to our Navy personnel who lost his finger,” Brawner said.
“We will demand it, we will continue to demand it — it is our right. They were the ones at fault; they stole our equipment, and they should return it,” the military chief said.
Brawner said the AFP has formally filed this demand through diplomatic channels but, “China hasn’t responded yet”. He noted, however, that discussions between the Department of Foreign Affairs and its Chinese counterpart are ongoing.
Earlier, China’s Foreign Ministry presented a different view of the encounter, claiming that Philippine boats were transporting smuggled weapons and deliberately rammed Chinese vessels.
A few days before the incident, China implemented a new law granting its coast guard the authority to detain foreign trespassers for up to 60 days without trial, further escalating tensions.
The South China Sea, a critical waterway for more than $3 trillion in annual commerce, remains heavily contested. In addition to the Philippines, China’s claims overlap with those of Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.
In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, declaring China’s claims in the South China Sea to have “no legal basis”.
Top photo credit: Senator Risa Hontiveros. Philippine Navy Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo.
