China lacks common sense for blocking the mission vessel bringing food and medical supplies for the Filipino troops stationed at the Ayungin shoal in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, a navy official said Tuesday. 

“Their deceptive actions, they lack common sense—we could not airdrop construction materials. Their narrative is that they do the blocking because of construction materials. I would like to point out that they have zero common sense,” Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said in a press conference in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. 

Trinidad said the country’s government's approach to the issue of the disputed WPS remains. 

No gun-pointing

On Tuesday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, in a statement, denied China’s allegations that the Filipino navy crew onboard the commissioned military ship, BRP Sierra Madre, pointed guns at CCG personnel. 

It noted that the AFP personnel are governed by the Rules of Engagement (ROE) and acted with the highest level of professionalism, restraint, and discipline in the performance of their mission to safeguard our sovereignty and sovereign rights.

“Foreign vessels that venture dangerously close to our military vessel and in violation of safe distance protocols necessitate heightened vigilance and alertness from our personnel. Hence, our troops were seen on guard because of the CCGs provocative presence near BRP Sierra Madre,” it added. 

In a press conference, AFP chief, General Romeo Brawner Jr., said the airdrop resupply mission on 19 May was unannounced.

“There was no pre-information given to any party about that resupply mission,” he said. 

“We did four sorties or four rounds of resupply. We were able to recover three of them. Unfortunately, one of the packages was intercepted by the Chinese. It was the second airdrop where the Chinese came in.” 

“So, probably what happened was, when they saw the first pass of the airplane dropping supplies near the BRP Sierra Madre, probably that was when they started to react by sending their rigid-hull inflatable boats,” he continued. 

According to Brawner, the CCG crew onboard RHIBs snatch the first dropped package

“And the thing was they opened the packages and when they saw that it was only foodstuff, they threw it back into the water. Maybe they were looking for construction materials. But it was just a small package, enough to carry food items and enough for it to float on the water,” the military chief said. 

He insisted that China has “no authority or right” to confiscate these Philippine supplies which are meant for soldiers onboard the BRP Sierra Madre. 

“On the issue of the pointing of the guns, we are denying that any of our soldiers pointed deliberately their guns to any of the Chinese in the RHIBs,” Brawner said.

“But we will not deny the fact that they were armed because the BRP Sierra Madre is a commissioned Philippine Navy ship, and therefore, it is authorized to have weapons,” he continued.

Brawner said the AFP is authorized to put weapons on board, both cruiser weapons and individual weapons of Filipino soldiers “because of the concept of self-defense.”

“We have the right to defend ourselves from any armed attack or external attack,” he added, noting that the Chinese RHIBs were very close to the BRP  Sierra Madre. 

“And in this case, because of that intent of the Chinese Coast Guard to get our supplies, they came very, very close to the BRP Sierra Madre and of course,—from the point of view of our soldiers—this posed a danger, a threat because there were near,” Brawner said, explaining why there were photos of Filipino soldiers carrying their guns. 

“I would like to emphasize, that they did not point their guns to the Chinese,” he pressed on. 

Illegal confiscation

Brawner said China’s action at that time was illegal under international order. 

“You're not supposed to confiscate the supplies of another country even in war, food supplies and even medicines, usually the adversaries would allow food supplies and medicines to pass through for humanitarian reasons. So again, that is illegal,” he said. 

Brawner said the AFP has already reported the incident to the Department of National Defense and provided information to the Department of Foreign Affairs. 

“We have done our part. It's up to DFA whether they're going to fight a protest for this action, illegal action that was done by the Chinese Coast Guard,” he pointed out. 

Brawner said the airdrop method was used for the military to perform its mission in a “peaceful manner” and avoid harassment from China. 

“Pero still, nakita niyo sa video, ganun pa rin. Ayaw tayong tantanan. So we really have to assert our sovereignty in the area,” he added.