The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday announced the successful completion of another rotation and resupply (RORE) mission for soldiers stationed at BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57) in Ayungin Shoal, located in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. confirmed that the 4 March operation was carried out "with no untoward incident."

“The completion of this mission reaffirms the AFP’s commitment not only to supporting our defenders in the WPS but, more importantly, to upholding the Philippines’ sovereignty and sovereign rights — not only for today’s generation but for those to come,” Brawner said in a statement.

The AFP noted that its chartered vessel, M/V Lapu-Lapu, was able to dock closer to BRP Sierra Madre during the resupply mission. The operation was conducted "in close coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard."

This marks the second time this year that Chinese ships did not intervene during the military's RORE mission in disputed waters. The previous re-provisioning operation took place on 25 January.

Meanwhile, AFP Public Affairs Chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad confirmed that there was Chinese presence during the resupply mission.

“While en route to BRP Sierra Madre, we tracked and monitored several Chinese vessels in the general area. Despite their presence, the entire operation was completed without confrontation or untoward incident,” Trinidad told the Daily Tribune in a Viber message.

Tensions over Ayungin Shoal — which lies within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf — have escalated due to China’s illegal claims over the area.

BRP Sierra Madre, a commissioned vessel of the Philippine Navy, has been grounded at Ayungin Shoal since 1999, serving as one of the country’s key military outposts in the WPS.

China claims the shoal — which it calls Ren’ai Jiao — as part of its Nansha Qundao region. However, the Philippines’ sovereignty over the shoal was affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Ruling under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).