The new Armed Forces of the Philippines chief visited two injured Navy personnel at Camp Ricarte Station Hospital on Saturday and awarded them medals for their service.
Gen. Antonio Nafarrete conferred the Wounded Personnel Medal on the sailors who were injured on July 20 while serving as security personnel for the BRP Sierra Madre near Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. He checked on their condition and assured them of full support for recovery.
Nafarrete also visited Pag-asa Island in Kalayaan, Palawan on the same day. He awarded the Meritorious Achievement Medal to three officers and praised the troops for their dedication in safeguarding sovereign rights.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro raised a protest with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday over the July 20 incident during a meeting at the ASEAN Ministerial Meetings. On Tuesday, Nafarrete stated that the military will continue to stand its ground in the West Philippine Sea.
