‘They were like pirates’: Philippines slams China’s forceful actions in new sea skirmish

A recent showdown between Chinese and Philippine forces in the South China Sea took place with Filipino sailors observing a new “operational design” in which they were told not to handle firearms while on a resupply mission, according to a top Philippine commander who lambasted the Chinese side for behaving “like pirates”.

Military officials said the new protocol was meant to “prevent war” even as it allowed Philippine forces to confront any armed attack “with bare hands”.

However, China’s response – involving its armed coastguard personnel boarding Manila’s vessels, confiscating their firearms and smashing equipment – showed Beijing would continue to “push the envelope” with their actions in the disputed waters unless forcefully challenged, analysts noted.

“This is the first time that we saw the Chinese coastguard carry bolos, spears and knives … they were like pirates in their actions,” General Romeo Brawner Jnr, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said during a press conference on Wednesday.

The military later released photographs – some of which showed Chinese coastguard personnel brandishing long knives and a pickaxe – and video clips of the incident.

The Philippine military reported that Chinese personnel boarded their vessels and confiscated weapons and other equipment from their sailors during the incident.

Rear Admiral Alfonso Torres, commander of the armed forces’ Western Command, which oversees operations in the West Philippine Sea, said their soldiers were under strict orders to follow a new “operational design” during rotation of troops and resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in which “no firearms will be handled or shown by our personnel to the [Chinese] coastguard personnel”.

“We are