Seaman First Class Jeffrey Facundo, who lost his thumb in the Ayungin Shoal clash on June 17, is now back in service in the West Philippine Sea.
AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said that Facundo’s lost thumb is now functional, as it has been successfully reattached by doctors in Makati City.
“I would like to report that we were able to restore our soldier’s finger with the help of doctors and partners like Makati Medical Foundation,” Brawner said during an ambush interview at Camp Aguinaldo on Monday morning.
Brawner noted that the thumb was restored two months ago and at no cost to Facundo.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. awarded Facundo, who was injured during a confrontation with the China Coast Guard (CCG) near Ayungin Shoal, the Order of Lapu-Lapu Rank of Kampilan.
In July, Manila demanded P60 million in damages from Beijing for the brutal harassment incident.
Brawner stated that this amount does not include compensation for the Filipino soldier who lost a finger during the clash.
As of now, Manila has yet to announce whether Beijing has met this demand.
“We will demand it, we will continue to demand it; it is our right. They’re the culprits who stole our equipment, they should return it,” the top brass asserted.
