GOVERNMENT has belied China’s claim that it had granted permission to the Armed Forces’ rotation and resupply (RORE) to Filipino troops at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea last month.
In a statement issued on Monday night, the Area Task Force West (ATF-West) of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said Philippines does not recognize Chinese authority over the shoal which is about 108 nautical miles from Rizal, Palawan.
The statement was released by the office of National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya who is also the spokesman of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea.
“The Philippines firmly asserts that no permission was sought from, nor granted by, China for the conduct of our lawful and regular rotation and resupply (RORE) mission to our troops stationed aboard BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal on 04 March 2025,” the ATF-West said.
Filipino troops occupying the shoal are billeted at the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting Philippine Navy ship which was grounded at the feature to serve as military outpost.
Chinese media quoted China Coast Guard (CCG) spokesman Liu Dejun as saying that the ship that delivered supplies to the Filipino troops at Ayungin Shoal, which the Chinese calls as Ren’ai Jiao, had “permission” from China.
The RORE mission was the sixth consecutive one since July last year, that was not marked by any untoward incident. It was in July last year when Filipino and Chinese diplomats convened the 9th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) during which they reached a “provisional arrangement” on the conduct of the missions to de-escalate tension in the area.
Prior to the convening of the 9th BCM, the Chinese have harassed RORE missions at the shoal. The last was in June last year that left a sailor losing a finger and Naby equipment damaged.
The RORE was followed by a similar mission on April 9. The military said the latest mission was “concluded without any untoward incident.”
The ATF-West said Ayungin Shoal is within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf, adding this was affirmed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in a 2016 ruling.
It said Philippines has “sovereign rights and jurisdiction” over the shoal and has been independently conducting RORE missions, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“China’s claim that it granted permission for this mission is a blatant disinformation attempt to undermine Philippine sovereignty and mislead the international community,” the ATF-West said.
“The Philippines does not recognize any authority of China over Ayungin Shoal, and we categorically reject any implication that our actions require their approval,” it added.
On Sunday, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command said it has driven away a Philippine Navy ship, BRP Apolinario Mabini, at the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal, about 124 nautical miles from Masinloc, Zambales.
China gained control of the shoal, which it calls Huangyan Dao, in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels. Since then, the Chinese have prevented Filipinos from fishing inside the shoal’s lagoon.
The Chinese said BRP Apolinario Mabini intruded into its territorial waters, prompting Chinese naval troops to track, monitor and warn off the Philippine vessel.
On Monday morning, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said China’s remarks “are all part of shaping or malign info operations more likely for their internal audience.”
Trinidad said it is only the Philippine Navy and other Philippine flagged law enforcement ships “have the authority and legal bases to challenge any ship within our maritime zones.
In a statement on Monday night, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said BRP Apolinario Mabini conducted a conducted a “routine and lawful maritime patrol” at Scarborough Shoal.
Padilla said the patrol was in accordance with the Philippine Constitution and Republic Act 12064 or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, and consistent with the UNCLOS and the 2016 PCA ruling.
