8-10-2023 (MANILA) In a recent resupply mission for troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) participated for the first time, attempting to block the operation, according to Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela.
Tarriela stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that a PLA-Navy ship with bow number 630 approached BRP Sindangan within 0.5 nautical miles, apparently aiming to prevent the Philippine vessel from approaching the Sierra Madre. Eventually, Philippine resupply vessels managed to evade the Chinese and unload their cargo on the Sierra Madre.
The PCG spokesman also reported that “PLA aircraft Y8Q conducted surveillance in Sabina (Escoda) Shoal and left when the resupply contingent arrived near Ayungin Shoal.”
In addition to these actions, Tarriela revealed that the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the Chinese maritime militia vessels carried out eight dangerous maneuvers. CCG ship 21556 even came as close as one meter to the PCG vessel BRP Sindangan, placing journalists on board the vessel in a precarious situation. This marked the first time a Filipino diplomat, Teodoro Locsin Jr., joined a resupply mission.
In a television interview, Tarriela expressed concern that the close contact between CCG ships and PCG vessels could have led to a collision, which China could exploit to blame the Filipinos. He also noted that five Chinese maritime militia ships actively assisted the CCG in blocking the PCG vessels, and two of the CCG vessels were nearly the same size as the multi-role response vessels (MRRVs) of the PCG patrol ships that served as escorts during the resupply mission.
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman, Col. Medel Aguilar, disputed China’s claim of “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratly Islands, including the Ayungin Shoal. He pointed out that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the arbitral award invalidated China’s claims, and several countries have supported the Philippines and the rules-based international order in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Aguilar emphasized that China’s “irresponsible actions” in the WPS are isolating it globally, and he refrained from disclosing military strategies to address Chinese harassment of Philippine supply missions for the Sierra Madre and Pag-Asia Island in the Kalayaan Island Group. However, he stressed that the China Coast Guard has no authority over Philippine vessels operating in the WPS.
