No changes in approach to China, NSC says

The Philippine government did not change its approach to China with regard to its rotational and resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea, the National Security Council said Friday.

This was stressed by NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya when asked whether the Philippines has changed its approach to the country's superpower neighbor in bringing in fresh supplies to Ayungin Shoal, where the BRP Sierra Madre was grounded.

Malaya said the Philippine government will continue with its RORE missions to Ayungin Shoal without notifying China, which also claims the low-tide elevation.

“No, we did not notify China. Let me repeat it. We will never notify China. The conduct of RORE is a sovereign act of the Republic of the Philippines,” he told reporters in a chance interview in the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“I told you, we will do everything in our operational mix to ensure that our troops are supplied there. They will not starve. That's why we continue to conduct these ROREs,” he added.

He continued: “No amount of pressure from the People's Republic of China will change our position. They cannot pressure us to stop supplying and we will never remove that grounded vessel.”

The Ayungin Shoal, located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan, has become a point of contention between the Philippines and China due to their overlapping claims on the area.

Earlier today, the Armed Forces of the Philippines announced that the recent attempt to bring fresh supplies and personnel to Ayungin Shoal was successful.

The recent RORE mission to Ayungin Shoal did not allow the inclusion of journalists, which raised suspicions about whether it is part of the new approach to China.

Clarifying the issue, Malaya explained that the non-inclusion of media in the RORE mission was due to the “significant escalation in the last RORE.”

“So, just to ensure the safety of civilians, particularly the media, we did not make any major amendments. But our measured transparency policy remains,” he stressed.

Malaya was also asked whether the government has adopted a new method of bringing fresh supplies to the AFP personnel in Ayungin Shoal through airdropping.

“I can neither confirm nor deny the conduct of the airdrop but as I mentioned, we will utilize everything under the operational mix of the armed forces to ensure that our troops are provisioned and that supplies are sent to them,” he said.