AUTHORITIES yesterday carried out a successful resupply mission for troops at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea despite attempts by Chinese vessels to harass them.
Two military-chartered boats, Unaizah May 1 and Unaizah May 2, were escorted by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels BRP Cabra and BRP Sindangan in delivering supplies to troops at the shoal, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said in a statement.
“Philippine Navy vessels were also on standby during the mission,” the NTF-WPS said.
The successful mission came after a resupply mission was subjected to repeated dangerous maneuvers and water cannoning by six Chinese Coast Guard vessels and two Chinese militia vessels near the shoal last August 5. Only one of the supply boats managed to reach the shoal due to the Chinese harassment.
“The routine follow-on rotation and resupply (RoRe) mission to the BRP Sierra Madre was successfully conducted today, August 22, through the combined efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard,” the NTF-WPS said .
“This latest RoRe mission was able to deliver fresh provisions to our military personnel stationed on board BRP Sierra Madre,” it added.
Troops stationed at the Ayungin Shoal are staying at the rusting Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre which was grounded at the shoal in 1999 to serve as military outpost.
“Notwithstanding attempts by China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels to block, harass, and interfere with the supply mission, the Philippine supply ships Unaizah May 1 and Unaizah May 2, escorted by PCG vessels BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409) and BRP Sindangan (MRRV-4407), successfully completed their RoRe mission,” said NTF-WPS said.
The task force, headed by National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, said routine resupply missions to Philippine outposts in the West Philippine “will continue on a regular basis.”
“These missions are part of the Philippine government’s legitimate exercise of its administrative functions over the WPS, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 2016 Arbitral Award, and domestic laws,” the NTF-WPS said.
It commended the “unfailing valor, determination, and professionalism exhibited by the men and women of our Armed Forces and Coast Guard.”
“The Filipino people owe them a debt of gratitude, for their commitment to place their lives on the line daily to defend our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction throughout the expanse of the WPS,” the NTF-WPS said.
‘USUAL ROUTE’
AFP spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said the supply boats left a naval station in Puerto Princesa City at 4:12 a.m. Monday, escorted by two PCG vessels with two Navy shops “closely watching by.”
Aguilar said the supply boats “passed through the usual route” and reached Ayungin Shoal at 9:24 a.m. yesterday.
Aguilar said the military leadership commends the “courageous and dedicated” personnel who manned the supply boats for executing the operation with “precision.”
He said AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr “expresses his deep appreciation to the assistance provided by the Philippine Coast Guard to secure the two resupply boats.”
“He also recognizes the great efforts spearheaded by the Western Command, AFP for the proper planning, coordination and execution of the RoRe mission,” he added.
Aguilar said the successful mission did not only ensure the well-being of the troops at Ayungin Shoal but also “demonstrated to the whole world the Filipinos firm resolve to assert our sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the shoal which is within the country’s maritime zones.”
“The AFP will support the country’s fulfillment of its obligations under existing international laws and conventions. The performance of such duty shall always be in a manner that promotes peace and in adherence to International Humanitarian Law,” added Aguilar.
Aguilar also extended the military’s gratitude to the “strong support” of the Filipino people which he said “inspired every soldier to face the risk, overcome the challenge and succeed.”
TIME TO PUSH BACK
Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez said it is time for Manila to push back against continued Chinese aggression and harassment in the West Philippine Sea.
“It’s time to push back because as I said, the seriousness of the situation is far more than what people think it is,” Romualdez told the ABS-CBN News Channel when asked for his comment on the August 5 incident between Chinese and Filipino coast guard vessels near Ayungin Shoal.
He said the US and other countries have expressed their condemnation of the aggressive activities of Chinese vessels in Philippine waters.
‘ARRANGEMENTS’
China’s Coast Guard said in a statement it “made temporary arrangements” for Manila to deliver food and necessities to the shoal which it also claims, on humanitarian grounds.
China maintains the Philippines’ occupation of the shoal is illegal.
Chinese Ambassador to Manila Huang Xilian said Beijing is not blocking supply runs as long as these are for “humanitarian supplies.”
“What I want to emphasize is that there has never been an attempt to block humanitarian supplies because there is such a special arrangement,” Huang said without elaborating on the details of the special arrangement.
He said Beijing is opposed to the provision of building materials to make permanent the outpost in Ayungin Shoal manned by Filipino troops since it is within Chinese territory.
“The problem was with the transportation of large scale of building materials. That is the only thing I can share with you,” he added.
The envoy also reiterated Beijing hopes that the two countries will make full use of existing maritime mechanism to handle maritime issues in a timely manner.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin, in a press conference in Beijing, called the United States the biggest threat to regional peace and security due to what it said were the latter’s continued “interference” in the South China Sea issue.
The spokesperson was asked about the joint statement of Washington, Tokyo and Seoul over the weekend criticizing what the three said were “dangerous and aggressive behavior supporting unlawful maritime claims that we have recently witnessed by the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea.”
Wang said it is Washington which poses more danger to peace and stability in the region as he said that Beijing, as a state party to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), always abides by the treaty.
He insisted it will not accept or recognize the “illegal arbitral award” on the South China Sea, referring to the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration which sided with the Philippines and junked China’s sweeping claims in the disputed waters.
“The US has become the biggest threat and challenge to regional peace and stability. China will continue to firmly defend its sovereignty and security interests, work with ASEAN countries to fully and effectively implement the Declaration of Conduct, promote steady progress in the Code of Conduct consultations, carry out practical maritime cooperation, and firmly uphold peace and stability and boost development in the region,” Wang said.
He said Washington has gone to great lengths to interfere in the South China Sea issue by encouraging and supporting certain countries’ violation of other countries’ maritime rights and sowing discord between countries in the region.
Wang said this makes the US a “disruptor and saboteur’ of the regional order.
“The US, together with its allies, frequently conducted military exercises and close-in reconnaissance in waters around China, including the South China Sea, to flex muscles and intensify tensions in the region,’ Wang added.
‘LEGITIMATE’
Wang maintained Beijing’s position that it has indisputable sovereignty on islands in the South China Sea and adjacent waters and its construction activities and the action of its coast guard are meant to protect its rights and enforce the laws in waters under its jurisdiction.
“These are legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach,” he said.
Last week, Zhou Zhiyong, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Chinese Embassy in Manila, reiterated Beijing’s call for Manila to “meet us halfway” through diplomatic dialogue to address the maritime territorial dispute.
Zhou said Beijing sent a draft proposal to Manila to address the matter but the latter has yet to respond.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said he is not aware of any such proposal.
The Philippines, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are claiming parts, or in the case of Beijing, nearly the whole South China Sea, contributing to tension in the area. All, except Brunei, have stationed troops in the islands they are claiming.
Manila had been pushing for the passage of a binding Code of Conduct among claimant countries that experts said could help lessen the chance of a military conflict.
CHINESE MILITIA SHIPS
Earlier yesterday, retired US Air Force Col. Ray Powell said on X (formerly Twitter): “China deployed four militia ships from (Chinese-occupied) Mischief Reef to take up blockade position at Ayungin.”
Powell said China deployed at 11 militia ships to Ayungin Shoal starting last Monday.
At 12:16 p.m., Powell said, the resupply mission “appears to be over with both (Coast Guard ships) moving back to the east,” adding he was waiting for the Philippine government to report the success of the mission.
“(The) extent of dangerous PRC (People’s Republic of China) maneuvers hard to assess due to China Coast Guard ships running AIS-dark,” he added. AIS or Automatic Identification System is an automated tracking system that displays the position of vessels.
A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the mission was completed yesterday morning. “It’s successful. There was no major untoward incident reported.”
AUSSIE INVITATION
Lt. Gen. Greg Bilton, chief of operations of the Australian Defense Force, invited the Philippine Armed Forces to join a biennial military exercise between Australia and United States.
Bilton issued the invitation during a courtesy call to AFP deputy chief of staff Lt. Gen. Sean Charlton Gaerlan at the AFP general headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo yesterday.
According to AFP public affairs chief Lt. Col. Enrico Gil Ileto, Bilton wants the AFP to join the exercise dubbed “Talisman Sabre” which is due to be held in Australia in 2025, “in order to achieve the common training goals with other like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The 2023 iteration of Exercise Talisman Sabre saw the participation of Fiji, France, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany. The Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand joined the exercise as observers.
“It is normal for observer nations to participate in the next iteration of the exercise after having been an observer. Lt. Gen Bilton asked for what we’d like to do and achieve, and the exercise design will be shaped to include these,” said Ileto.
Ileto said Bilton and Gaerlan discussed the ongoing Exercise Alon being conducted by Australian and Filipino troops in various parts of the country.
Ileto said Gaerlan “extended the AFP’s gratitude to the Australian government for its support to the AFP’s counterterrorism efforts and its stance in the issues in the West Philippine Sea.” — With Ashzel Hachero and Reuters
