Navy: Smoke from BRP Sierra Madre incident part of fire drill

The Philippine Navy on Tuesday refuted claims that the crew aboard the BRP Sierra Madre were polluting Ayungin Shoal after state-run China Global Television Network (CGTN) reported that black smoke from the commissioned ship was posing “environmental damages.”

In a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the smoke was part of a fire drill conducted on 28 February.

“The exercise for this particular activity was a fire drill. And they usually use combustible materials, these are flammable materials. It so happened because of the strong winds, napalakas, but they were able to put everything under control,” Trinidad said.

Trinidad said the navy regularly conducts operational exercises to maintain and enhance the warship's combat effectiveness, ensure crew proficiency, and prepare for any potential threats or emergencies.

“The officers and men of any warship of the Philippine Navy regularly conduct operational exercises. These are designed to ensure the survivability and operational readiness of that warship,” he said. 

The navy official stressed that there was no environmental damage and that all personnel aboard the ship are safe.

“Such activity was conducted aboard BRP Sierra Madre last 28 February. The smoke incidentally went beyond what they were intending to exercise, nevertheless, this was put under control, there was no damage to the environment, all the men aboard the ship are safe,” he said.

He added “the exercise was conducted successfully.”

In a report on Sunday, CGTN stated that the BRP Sierra Madre carried out a burning activity, resulting in heavy smoke.

“Recent footage shows environmentally harmful activities aboard the vessel... thick smoke is visible from what appears to be a burning activity on a grounded Philippine military ship,” it reported.

According to Trinidad, the Chinese state media's narrative was part of the “deceptive messaging of the Chinese Communist Party.”

The BRP Sierra Madre is the country’s warship that was deliberately run aground in Ayungin Shoal in 1995 to serve as an outpost of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that China's claim to historic rights within its so-called nine-dash line has no legal basis.

The ruling, based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both the Philippines and China are parties, also stated that Beijing has no legal grounds to claim nearly the entire South China Sea (SCS).

Despite the decision, China refuses to recognize the ruling and continues to interfere with Philippine vessels conducting lawful maritime operations.