DFA reports fewer incidents in Ayungin Shoal due to provisional PH-China arrangement

A provisional agreement between the Philippines and China on resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal has led to fewer confrontations between the two sides in the area, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

According to Tina Panganiban-Perez's report on "24 Oras," House members asked DFA officials about its response to confrontations between Chinese and Filipino vessels in the West Philippine Sea during the Committee on Appropriations hearing on its proposed P35.17-billion budget for 2027.

“One of the important provisions is not to prejudice the positions that we have had. That means UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the 2016 Arbitral Award," Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro said.

"This is a provisional arrangement only in this particular shoal, the Ayungin Shoal, because this is with particular reference only to the Sierra Madre ship,” she added.

The BRP Sierra Madre has been run aground at the Ayungin Shoal and serves as a Philippine outpost in the area.

Philippine authorities conduct rotation and resupply missions to the shoal to relieve personnel of duty and bring fresh supplies.

The DFA said there were 16 rotation and resupply missions that were implemented without incident in the past two years.

The DFA also said that it was correcting the false information that China was spreading.

“Meron din po kaming pagkakataon para mag-issue ng formal protests when it comes to very specific statements of the foreign ministry and the Chinese government,” DFA Assistant Secretary Robespierre Bolivar said.

(We have moments to issue formal protests when it comes to very specific statements of the Foreign Ministry and the Chinese government.) —Jean Mangaluz/NB, GMA News