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‘Up to 8 different Chinese vessels were monitored in the vicinity, but posed no threat to our mission,’ says the AFP
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine military said that a September 26 mission to bring supplies and rotate personnel deployed to an outpost in Ayungin Shoal was completed despite the presence of Chinese vessels in the vicinity of the shoal.
In a statement on Friday, September 27, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Colonel Francel Padilla said the military completed the mission on Friday.
The BRP Sierra Madre is a rusting World War II-era ship that was run aground on purpose back in 1999, as China began reclaiming and building structures on nearby Mischief Reef. She has stood watch over the shoal since, as is one of several Philippine outposts in the West Philippine Sea, or parts of the South China Sea that includes the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Resupply missions to the vessel have been a sore point for Philippine-Chinese ties, since Beijing insists that the shoal — and most of the South China Sea — is part of its territory. Ayungin, located just over 105 nautical miles from the Philippines, is well within Manila’s EEZ.
Missions in the past year or so have been especially violent, with the China Coast Guard routinely ramming Philippine vessels or using water cannons in an attempt to resupplying missions to the BRP Sierra Madre. In July, the Philippines was able to negotiate a “provisional understanding” that hoped to de-escalate tensions in Ayungin Shoal, and the rest of the West Philippine Sea.
A July 2024 resupply mission — the first since the agreement was announced — also went by without a hitch.
“We confirm the presence of Chinese vessels in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal during our execution of mission. Up to 8 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,” said Padilla.
“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.
Video released by the AFP showed the MV Lapu-Lapu, a civilian ship that the AFP contracts for these missions, approaching the rusting BRP Sierra Madre.
In a tweet, the AFP said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) supported the September 26 mission. No other details were available as of posting.
The situation in other features in the West Philippine Sea are not as peaceful, however. Recently Escoda or Sabina Shoal, typically the staging point for missions to Ayungin Shoal, has turned into a flashpoint for tensions between the Asian neighbors, especially over the PCG’s 5-month-long deployment of the BRP Teresa Magbanua to the shoal. The PCG vessel has since pulled out, after bad weather and China’s harassment made it impossible to bring supplies to the ship. – Rappler.com
