There is no “infringement” to speak of. Ayungin Shoal is a low-tide elevation lying approximately 105 nautical miles from Palawan — well within the Philippines’ 200-NM Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf. The 2016 Arbitral Award, final and binding under UNCLOS, ruled that Ayungin Shoal forms part of the Philippine EEZ and continental shelf, and that no Chinese claim — including the so-called nine-dash line — has any legal basis there.
We cannot “infringe” on our own maritime zone. The only infringement on July 20 was committed by the China Coast Guard, operating over 600 nautical miles from Hainan, inside Philippine waters.
On the facts: at around 0915H on 20 July 2026, an 8-man rigid hull inflatable boat deployed from CCGV 21560 approached within roughly 20 yards of BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57), conducting an unauthorized close inspection of a commissioned Philippine Navy vessel. Our AFP personnel deployed rubber boats to non-confrontationally drive it away.
The CCG boat disregarded instructions, and in the ensuing commotion, a barbaric Chinese crew member struck a Filipino sailor on the head with a wooden baton, inflicting an open wound. That is not “maximum restraint.” That is an assault on Philippine personnel aboard and around a Philippine naval vessel, in the Philippine EEZ.
The CCG’s account inverts aggressor and victim — a familiar pattern of illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive (ICAD) behavior. It was the CCG RHIB that initiated the dangerous approach; our small boats responded to protect LS-57. Calling that a “provocation” is like a burglar accusing the homeowner of harassment.
As for “rights protection and law enforcement”: there is no lawful Chinese jurisdiction to enforce at Ayungin Shoal. China has no territorial sea, no EEZ, and no continental shelf entitlement there. Its continued interference with Philippine vessels and personnel violates UNCLOS, the 2016 Award, and international law on the safety of life at sea.
