The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) lauded another successful rotation and reprovisioning (RoRe) mission of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard to the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal.

The DFA said it was the fifth mission conducted under the understanding reached by the Philippines and China on principles and approaches in the conduct of RoRe missions to Ayungin Shoal for the purpose of avoiding misunderstandings and miscalculations without prejudice to national positions.

“It demonstrates that effective diplomacy plays a leading role in West Philippine Sea issues and creates pathways to innovate approaches that help manage the situations, without compromising the Philippine national interest,” the DFA said.

It added that the latest RoRe mission was a substantial demonstration of diplomatic and pragmatic cooperation in dealing with issues in the South China Sea, and the country’s commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.

Meanwhile, the Philippines and China held their 10th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) meeting in Xiamen this month. The two countries acknowledged the BCM’s positive outcomes and agreed to continue its implementation to sustain deescalation.

Boat harassed

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) conduct of a marine scientific survey on Friday at Sandy Cays experienced harassment from the China Coast Guard (CCG), according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

In a news forum on Saturday, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela, said the BFAR vessel was on its mission to take sand samples at Sandy Cays 2 and 3. It was accompanied by the PCG from Pag-asa island.

During the mission, three CCG vessels, identified as vessels 4106, 5103 and 4202, conducted dangerous maneuvers against the BFAR vessels, BRP Datu Pagbuaya and BRP Datu Bankaw.

The BFAR personnel were able to prevent a collision.

At the same time, as the BFAR deployed smaller boats to ferry personnel to Sandy Cays 2 and 3, the CCG deployed four of their own small boats to try and prevent the BFAR’s rigid hull inflatable boats from reaching their targeted area.