The chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command on Thursday revealed he was aboard the chartered resupply boat when the Chinese Coast Guard vessel fired a water cannon against the Philippine ship, which also hurt four other navy crew onboard, during a resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. 

WesCom Commander Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos, in a radio interview, said he was on board the Unaizah Mae 4 when a CCG vessel attacked the Philippine crew, conducting a rotational and reprovisional (RoRe) mission, for the troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre, the military outpost in the Ayungin shoal. 

Carlos said he acquired a minor injury when the resupply boat’s windshield shattered due to a high-pressure stream of water fired by a CCG vessel. 

“Ang napansin lang namin medyo malakas nga yung pressure nung tubig (We just noticed that the pressure of water they fired us was quite stronger) compared to the previous incidents,” Carlos said. 

Test mission, maiden voyage

The WesCom chief said his presence in the boat was part of the AFP’s effort to maintain security and defend the area. 

The AFP was bringing two supply chartered boats in the area, the Unaizah Mae 1 and 4. But Carlos noted the second boat, which he boarded, was not bringing any supply items because it was just on a test mission.

Due to China’s dangerous blocking maneuvers, only the Unaizah Mae 1 was able to enter the shoal and fulfill the resupply mission. The Unaizah Mae 4, on the other the other hand, was destroyed after the CCG vessel bombarded it with high-pressure waters.

After the water cannon attack, Carlos said the Unaizah Mae 4 decided to return to a military port in mainland Palawan to "de-escalate the tension in the area."

Unaizah Mae 4 was a newly contracted supply boat and it was its “maiden voyage” in the WPS. 

“Gusto po nating matesting sana kung makakapasok sa bahura ng Ayungin kaya po hindi po natin muna nilagyan ng kargamento yung Unaizah Mae 4 para matansya, gusto po muna nating matesting kung talagang makakapasok sa Ayungin (We want to test if it can enter the reef of  Ayungin, that’s why we did not load supply to Unaizah Mae 4, so we can estimate  and test if it can actually enter the Ayungin shoal),” Carlos explained. 

Unfortunately, the vessel experienced the first CCG bullying on its first WPS voyage. 

Carlos said the ship would again attempt to enter the shoal once the repair is done. 

Other AFP-chartered supply boats are currently scheduled for repairs. 

Military execs on China's bullying

This is not the first time a high-ranking military official experienced firsthand the CCG vessel’s aggression in the Ayungin shoal. 

To recall, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. was on a similar wooden resupply boat when a CCG ship fired a water cannon and rammed them during a previous resupply mission in December last year. 

Brawner was aboard the Unaizah Mae 1 and stayed overnight before reaching the BRP Sierra Madre. The military chief, accompanied by Carlos, boosted the morale of soldiers in the outpost amid China's continuing bullying. 

Amid China’s increasing aggression in the WPS, Carlos said the AFP will remain “undeterred” in fulfilling its missions in the area. 

“We already sent our reports and the guidance of the President is that—we will not yield, we are undeterred, so our operations in the West Philippine Sea will continue,” he said. 

The AFP WesCom is tasked to man the Philippine Navy’s decommissioned BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57). It is also responsible for watching over and defending the country’s territorial sovereignty in the WPS.

“We will continue our maritime patrols, along with the exercise of our sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction),” Carlos stressed. 

“The BRP Sierra Madre will stay there and we will make sure that BRP Sierra Madre stays there and continues to fly the Philippine flag,” he added.