Philippines faces 'barbaric' knife, axe wielding Chinese sailors in WPS

MANILA, Philippines — The actions of China’s Coast Guard (CCG) during the Monday altercation at Ayungin Shoal were "barbaric," as they involved "physical attacks and violence" against Philippine Navy soldiers during a routine resupply mission for the anchored BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Spokesman Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the PCG spokesperson said that if the CCG's actions are left unchecked, it "will not just be a loss for our fight in the West Philippine Sea."

This is how barbaric the Chinese Coast Guard is in the recent RoRe mission of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. These videos show how blatantly they use physical attacks and violence to prevent our soldiers from completing the legitimate and humanitarian resupply mission to… pic.twitter.com/7vzFDem1DE

“These provocative, unprofessional, and inhumane actions of China…They serve as a clear indication that humanity has once again allowed barbarism to trample upon compassion, and that what is right is only defined by might,” Tariella wrote.

In a video released by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday evening, CCG personnel were seen surrounding and blocking the PCG’s rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs).

CCG personnel violently attached ropes to tow the AFP's RHIB while threatening to injure an AFP soldier w/ a pickaxe. They also employed blaring sirens to create chaos, disrupt communication, and divert the attention of AFP troops, exacerbating the hostile & dangerous situation. pic.twitter.com/a8cPaGGH8j

"CCG personnel violently attached ropes to tow the AFP's RHIB while threatening to injure an AFP soldier w/ a pickaxe," the AFP wrote on X.

"They also employed blaring sirens to create chaos, disrupt communication, and divert the attention of AFP troops, exacerbating the hostile & dangerous situation," it added.

In one video, PCG personnel were shown attending to a colleague whose thumb had been cut off when it was caught between the boats of the PCG and CCG.

China's coast guard personnel were also observed boarding the PCG’s RHIBs and striking it.

The AFP condemned the CCG's attacks, describing them as pirate-like actions.

“For