MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday confirmed that one of its Navy officers sustained a serious injury during a confrontation with the Chinese Coast Guard on June 17.

•AFP honors Navy officer injured in China Coast Guard ramming

Seaman First Class Jeffrey Facundo of the Philippine Navy lost his right thumb after a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel rammed a Philippine rubber boat during Monday's resupply mission in Ayungin shoal.

"Because of the speed, pumatong yung forward portion ng China Coast Guard RHIB don sa RHIB ng tropa natin. Unfortunately nakahawak yung tropa don, so nadaanan yung daliri niya. So because of the weight at bilis nung RHIB ng Chinese Coast Guard tinamaan yung daliri niya," AFP Western Command chief Rear Admiral Alfonso Torres Jr. said during a press conference.

• Knives, looting, severed thumb: Philippines details fresh confrontation with China in Ayungin

Torres said Facundo was even lucky that only one of his fingers was severed considering the impact of China's rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB).

"Buti hindi buong kamay," Torres said.

Facundo was awarded a "wounded personnel medal" by AFP chief Romeo Brawner, who personally visited the bedridden sailor.

Aside from Facundo, Brawner said he is set to award other uniformed men who survived the June 17 mission as he lauded them for their dedication.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) also corrected earlier reports and said only one Philippine personnel, Facundo, was injured during the June 17 clash.

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