MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino soldier’s thumb severed in the collision of Philippine boats with a Chinese vessel in Ayungin Shoal in June has been restored, and the soldier is back on duty, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner said Monday.
Brawner said the thumb of Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo was attached in September.
“I would like to report that the thumb of our soldier has been restored with the help of our doctors, our partners, including the Makati Medical Foundation. His finger has been restored. It’s now functioning normally. I think it was restored about two months ago,” Brawner said.
He said the medical procedure on Facundo’s thumb was “free of charge.”
Brawner said Facundo is back on duty in the West Philippines Sea.
On June 17, Facundo of the Philippine Navy lost his thumb when a China vessel collided with Philippine boats during a rotation and resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.
The AFP demanded P60 million in damages from China after its coast guard destroyed some equipment of Philippine Navy personnel.
Despite the demand, China has not paid the damages, Brawner said.
BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded in Ayungin Shoal since 1999. The ship has become a symbol of Philippine sovereignty in the offshore territory.
Tensions have continued with Beijing insisting on its massive claim in the South China Sea (SCS), including the portion that Manila claims as part of the West Philippine Sea.
The SCS is a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Aside from the Philippines, China has overlapping claims in the area with Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.
In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, invalidating China’s claims in the SCS, saying it has “no legal basis.”
China has not recognized the tribunal’s decision.
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