PH completes 5th resupply mission to Ayungin sans incident 

Philippine forces have transported food and other supplies to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal without untoward incidents, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Friday.

It was the fifth RORE (rotation and reprovisioning) mission completed for the Filipino troops stationed in the tank landing vessel, which has become the country's outpost to boost its claim to sovereignty over the area.

"The Philippines today completed another rotation and reprovisioning (RORE) mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal and again no untoward incidents were reported," the DFA said in a statement.

"The [DFA] expresses thanks for the professionalism of the men and women of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard in the conduct of the mission," it added.

In a separate statement, China's coast guard said it "questioned" and "monitored" the Philippine vessel throughout its supply mission, adding it would continue to carry out "rights protection and law enforcement activities" in the Spratly Islands and its surrounding waters.

"China hopes the Philippine side will honor its commitments, work together to manage maritime issues, and jointly maintain stability," the coast guard said.

The DFA said the mission was conducted under the ambit of the understanding reached between the Philippines and China on "principles and approaches for the conduct of RORE missions in Ayungin Shoal for the purpose of avoiding misunderstandings and miscalculations, without prejudice to national positions."

"It demonstrates that effective diplomacy plays a leading role in West Philippine Sea issues and creates pathways to innovative approaches that help manage the situation, without compromising the Philippine national interest," the DFA said.

Earlier this month, Beijing and Manila held another round of talks to address their maritime disputes and agreed to seek common ground and find ways to cooperate.

"The Philippines views the latest RORE mission and the continued adherence to the understanding of the principles and approaches to such missions as substantial demonstrations of diplomatic and pragmatic cooperation in dealing with issues in the South China Sea, and the country’s commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy, consistent with the guidance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.," the DFA said.

China and the Philippines have traded barbs for months over maneuvers at Ayungin Shoal, an atoll within Manila's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

A 2016 ruling of an international arbitral tribunal said Beijing's claims, based on its historic maps, have no basis under international law, a decision China does not recognize. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/with a report from Reuters/LDF/VBL, GMA Integrated News