Phl adjusts WPS resupply mission amid China's aggressions

The Philippines is keen to adjust its regular resupply mission in the Ayungin Shoal amid China’s increasing aggressions in the West Philippine Sea, and that will be based on the country’s terms, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said on Sunday.

“Tayo ang masusunod dito, gagawin natin yung gusto nating gawin, [kung] kailan, anong klaseng resupply, [at] gagawin natin yan according to our realm na walang ano mang influence galing sa ano mang country (It will be up to us, we will do whatever we want to do, as to when, what kind of resupply will it be, and we will do it according to our realm without any influence from other countries),” Año told reporters in a phone interview.

Año insisted that the Philippines has no binding agreement with China when it comes to their claims over the West Philippine Sea, particularly the removal of the country’s military outpost, BRP Sierra Madre (LS57), in the Ayungin shoal.

“They are claiming so many many alleged agreements in the past that we do not recognize,” he said.

Año lamented that even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not recognize China’s claims that the Philippines previously promised to remove the grounded Philippine Navy’s amphibious ship on the Ayungin Shoal.

“He is rejecting it, so there is no such thing as whatever arrangement or agreement,” he said.‘

China can’t intimidate Phl

There’s no reason for the Philippines to heed China’s narratives, according to Año as the Ayungin Shoal is part of the country’s exclusive economic zone.

“We have a vessel there so it is within our rights and authority to conduct rotation and resupply provision operation there, and this is one way of asserting our sovereign rights,” Año said.

It was China’s actions “were illegal, coercive, aggressive and even deceptive,” he added.

“This is just an ordinary rotation and resupply or provision operation but look at how the Chinese are reacting, it is as if it’s already the end of the World, so it’s really humiliating themselves in front of the World,” said Año.

“So we will continue to do this, we will not be deterred, we will not be intimidated because it is our right and we have to protect our soldiers, our sailors there at BRP Sierra Madre,” he pressed on.

Adjusting resupply ops

Año said the national security sector is considering a calibrated resupply mission as the China Coast Guard's heightened behaviors in the Ayungin Shoal were already hurting Filipinos and damaging Philippine vessels.

“Well the principle is basic, we will do this because we have a duty to this and we have to protect our people and we will not stop from doing this RORE operations, of course we will make adjustments and it will be tackled in the level of armed forces as what adjustment should be done,” he noted.

Año said China should be “ashamed” of laying down its terms for the “territory that is not even theirs.”

“We do not have any arrangement or agreement with whatsoever the Chinese is saying because we will never ever do that [and] we are an independent country so we will do what we have to do within our territorial limits and within our exclusive economic zone. Sila yung dapat mahiya dyan sa ginagawa nila (They should be ashamed for what they are doing),” he emphasized.

Año assured support of the National Security Council for efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of National Defense, in support of the Philippine Coast Guard, to protect the entire key features of the WPS.

Año, who also chairs the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, will lead a meeting with the executive secretary this week. Key principals of the national security sector will also attend the "high-level" meeting.

“We will first tackle the incident in Ayungin during the latest RORE mission, and then from there will be discussion [on our resolve] and we will identify our objectives so we can come up with recommendations to the President,” he shared.

Aside from the latest Ayungin incident, Año said topics affecting the entire WPS will also be discussed in the meeting.

On Saturday, two CCG vessels performed a water cannon attack against the AFP-chartered civilian resupply boat, Unaizah May 4, which resulted in the injuries of at least three navy crew on board and severe damage to the resupply ship.

PCG’s escort vessels, BRP Cabra and BRP Sindangan were also subjected to the blocking maneuvers of a CCG vessel and two Chinese Maritime Militia ships.

Several allies of the Philippines have condemned China’s latest atrocity in the Ayungin Shoal—a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands that is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan.