A Philippine Navy sailor assigned at the BRP Sierra Madre was hit on the head by a baton by Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) personnel onboard a rigid hull inflatable boat as they stopped Filipino soldiers from getting near the grounded World War II vessel at Ayungin Shoal on Monday, the military said.

This happens as the Philippines is hosting the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said earlier Foreign Secretary Ma. Teresa Lazaro and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet this week.

''Any act of violence against Filipino personnel is unacceptable and will merit the appropriate diplomatic action,'' the DFA said in a statement.

Col. Xerxes Trinidad, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief, said a China Coast Guard rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) with eight personnel from CCG vessel 21560 unlawfully approached within close range of the BRP Sierra Madre.

He said the CCG took photos and videos, prompting two AFP rubber boats to calmly drive them away.

"The CCG vessel personnel reacted violently and aggressively by striking a Philippine Navy personnel on the head with a wooden baton, causing injury and damaging the Navy rubber boat operating within the area where our country enjoys sovereign rights under international law," he added.

Trinidad said the Western Command immediately gave medical attention to the injured personnel and is coordinating with BRP Sierra Madre and if the injuries need medical evacuation.

"These latest aggressive actions and assault by the CCGV demonstrate a blatant disregard for safety, endanger the lives of our personnel and escalates tensions in the West Philippine Sea," he said.

"Despite the aggression and violence, AFP personnel exercised professionalism, discipline, and acted according to the Rules of Engagement while carrying out their lawful mission within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, in accordance with international law," he added.

In a statement, the Department of National Defense (DND) stressed that the recent incident is "a clear pattern of provocative and hostile behavior, and further contributes to the People’s Republic of China’s deficit of trust and credibility."

"Against the backdrop of the PRC’s circumvention of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and disregard of the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Tribunal Ruling on the South China Sea, their actions further justify the Department’s position of disengagement—we simply cannot trust this belligerent neighbor," it stated.

The DND also lauded the professionalism and resolve shown by Philippine Navy personnel.

"As we continue to monitor and prepare measures to meet this aggression, the Department of National Defense salutes the defenders of BRP Sierra Madre and our western frontier. We will not back down," the DND added.

In another statement, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea stressed that the "latest act of aggression against personnel performing their lawful duties is unacceptable and serves only to heighten tensions and increase the risk of dangerous miscalculation at sea."

Despite the incident, the task force assures that the military "personnel in the West Philippine Sea will continue to exercise professionalism, restraint, and fidelity to international law".

"The Philippines remains firmly committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes, even as it steadfastly protects its sovereign rights and jurisdiction and ensures the safety of those serving on the frontlines of our maritime domain, it stated.

"We call on the China Coast Guard to immediately cease dangerous and unlawful actions that threaten lives and undermine peace and stability. We likewise urge China to uphold its obligations under international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and to demonstrate through its actions a genuine commitment to a rules-based maritime order in the West Philippine Sea and the broader South China Sea," the task force noted. Robina Asido/PHS