The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday said it has completed its rotation and resupply mission for the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal without interference from Chinese vessels in the area.
“Up to eight different Chinese vessels were monitored in the vicinity, but posed no threat to our mission and our personnel were able to complete the mission and sustain our presence in the shoal,” AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said in a statement.
The military mission was conducted on Thursday, Sept. 27, with the support of the Philippine Coast Guard.
“AFP was able to deliver supplies and rotate our personnel without interference. We remain vigilant and prepared to respond to any challenges in protecting our personnel and operations,” she added.
In a video clip from the AFP, the MV Lapu-Lapu can be seen approaching the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal during the mission.
State media quoted China’s coast guard as saying Thursday’s trip was in line with a temporary deal between the two countries, a reference to a provisional agreement struck in July after both had repeated altercations near the shoal.
”We hope that the Philippines will honor its commitment, meet China halfway and jointly manage the maritime situation,” said China Coast Guard spokesperson Liu Dejun.
After the July deal between the two countries, the Philippines resumed its mission in Ayungin Shoal without untoward incidents, unlike in the previous operations where China had blocked AFP and PCG vessels.
However, tensions have marred recent Philippine missions near other contested features in the West Philippines, including the repeated ramming of the BRP Teresa Magbanua at Escoda Shoal, the firing of flares from Subi (Zamora) Reef, and the close flight of a Chinese military helicopter near a plane of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) over Bajo de Masinloc.
Ayungin Shoal is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands. It is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is within the Philippines 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The World War II-era BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded in Ayungin Shoal since 1999. The ship has become a symbol of Philippine sovereignty in the offshore territory.
China has a massive claim in the South China Sea (SCS), including the portion the Philippines refers to as the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
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 over China’s claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had “no legal basis.”
China has not recognized the decision.
