Resupply missions in West Philippine Sea to continue – AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Amid continuing harassment by China, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the military will continue to carry out rotation and reprovisioning (RORE) missions to the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal.

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla stressed that – since the AFP strongly asserts the legitimacy of its operations within the West Philippine Sea (WPS), and guided by international rules-based order and international law – “any challenges that we will be facing will be addressed with utmost professionalism.”

“However, let it be clear that the AFP is fully prepared to defend ourselves and the lives of our members if necessary. These RORE missions of ours are for morale and welfare,” Padilla said.

“We are there to support the troops that are deployed in these territorial waters, so we will not be deterred. The AFP will be continuing with these missions to see to the welfare of our troops in our territorial waters,” she added.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday summoned Chinese embassy deputy chief of mission Zhou Zhiyong to protest the aggressive actions by China Coast Guard (CCG) and maritime militia personnel against a routine resupply mission for Filipino troops in Ayungin Shoal that injured four Filipino crew members.

DFA Deputy Assistant Secretary Raphael Hermoso summoned the Chinese envoy and conveyed the Philippines’ protest.

During the meeting, the Philippines stressed, among others, that China’s interference with the Philippines’ routine and lawful activities in its own exclusive economic zone or EEZ is unacceptable.

The DFA said “China’s actions in Ayungin Shoal infringes upon the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction.”

The Philippines demanded that Chinese vessels leave the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal immediately.

Ayungin Shoal is a low-tide elevation within the Philippines’ EEZ and continental shelf. In accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award, it cannot be appropriated for sovereignty claims.

CCG and maritime militia vessels harassed, blocked, deployed water cannons and executed dangerous maneuvers in