Philippine Coast Guard vessel MRRV-4402 maneuvers as a Chinese Coast Guard vessel (CCGV) blocks from port side at a distance approximately 100 yards while the PCG vessel navigates within 12 nautical miles of Ayungin shoal in this photo taken last June 30 and issued on July 5, 2023. Photo courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard/File

MANILA — “Almost all” of the rotation and resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea last year saw the presence of the Chinese coast guard and maritime militia, an official of the Philippine Navy said on Tuesday.

PH conducts resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal without Chinese interference

The military and coast guard conducted 28 rotation and resupply (RoRe) missions to the Kalayaan Island Group in 2023. Fourteen of these missions were for the BRP Sierra Madre, a crumbling ship that Manila grounded at Ayungin to assert its stake over the West Philippine Sea.

“For the presence, I would say, to a certain degree of certainty, almost all had the presence of at least one CCG (Chinese coast guard) and maritime militia,” Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said.

Trinidad noted that three of the RoRe missions were hounded by water cannon attacks by Chinese vessels.

“For water cannoning, there were 3 incidents monitored: August resupply mission, November and December,” he said.

China blasts PH plan to build Ayungin facility

Some missions to Ayungin Shoal were rescheduled due to weather conditions and condition of supply vessels.

The remaining 14 missions were for the eight other Philippine-occupied features in the Kalayaan islands.

“We don’t only focus on Ayungin Shoal. We rotate personnel deployed on the nine features of the Philippines. For the eight others, gray ships conduct the rotation and re-provisioning of troops by sea or air. It’s a mix of the PCG (Philippine Coast Guard), PN (Philippine Navy), LGU (local government unit),” Trinidad said.

“We do not have illegal actions conducted on the 8 other features,” he continued.

Last week, the military conducted its latest rotation and resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre, with AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla describing the operation as “flawless” and a success.

The AFP chartered indigenous boat Unaizah Mae to bring fresh provisions to troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre. The Philippine Coast Guard escorted the supply vessel.

“There was the presence of the CCG that did not do illegal actions. There was monitored CMMV (China maritime militia vessel) in the area,” Trinidad noted.

Trinidad said although there were still Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels in the area, there was no interference from their side during the said mission.

 “It's not the first time that there was no interference, no illegal moves by the maritime militia, the coast guard or the PLAN. We have had activities in the past RoRe missions that there was no interference at all," Trinidad said.

He continued, “When I say interventions or illegal actions, these are acts that are not expected of a maritime nation and her ships, like cutting across the bow, water cannons, lasers.”

 National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said he hopd China’s sudden change of approach towards the Philippine resupply team would become the norm, “not the exception.”

 “Natutuwa tayo na walang panghaharang o kung anuman na blocking na nangyari. Sana ito na ang maging norm natin,” Malaya told the media in a phone interview.

 “I hope the Philippines and China have turned the page dito and I hope this will be the standard or the norm moving forward,” he added.

“We are neighbors; the Philippines and China are neighbors. It’s important to maintain good relations,” he further said.

For this year, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has so far conducted two rotation and resupply missions in the West Philippine Sea.

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