AFP: Ayungin Shoal, BRP Sierra Madre 'will never be abandoned'

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday said the Philippines will not abandon the BRP Sierra Madre and its mission at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“BRP Sierra Madre nor Second Thomas Shoal or Ayungin Shoal will never be abandoned,” AFP spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said at a press briefing.

He pointed out that the AFP has the mandate to ensure the integrity of Philippine territory, including the rotation of troops stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre and the delivery of their food and other supplies.

Trinidad made the statement when asked about the provisional understanding between Manila and Beijing on resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre..

“We need not seek approval, nor inform any foreign power in performing our mandate,” the AFP official said.

According to Trinidad, the most recent rotation and resupply operation was conducted about 45 days ago. Supplies currently at the BRP Sierra Madre are sufficient, according to him.

The AFP said the timing of rotation and resupply operations is an operational matter handled by the Western Command.

The BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded at Ayungin Shoal since 1999 and serves as an outpost for Philippine troops in the disputed waters.

The Ayungin Shoal — called Ren’ai Reef by China — is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands, which is a group of more than 100 islands and reefs in the South China Sea.

It is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan, is within the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and is part of its continental shelf.

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim.

The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago, including the Luzon Sea and the waters around, within, and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has refused to recognize the decision. —KG, GMA News