AFP flags ‘unusual’ Chinese activities at BRP Sierra Madre in WPS

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday noted the “unusual” activity of the Chinese maritime forces at the Ayungin Shoal.

AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said a total of 25 Chinese ships were monitored sailing within the Ayungin Shoal were observed maneuvering from 20 to 21 August in the vicinity of the shoal where the country’s military outpost, BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57), is located.  

These included 11 rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs), fast boats, five China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, a rotary-wing aircraft, and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

“It is unusual because in the past months, we have not seen activities; there’s no such thing. Maybe for this year, there's no such thing. So it's unusual,” Trinidad told defense reporters in a phone interview. 

Despite the apparent increase in Chinese presence and activity, Trinidad clarified that AFP troops stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre remain composed and are taking tactical steps to keep Chinese forces at a safe distance.

“I wouldn’t say [it’s] alarming because we’re used to their coercive and aggressive actions,” he said, citing past incidents where Chinese personnel dropped fishing nets in the area or attempted to approach the Philippine outpost. 

He noted that similar incidents occurred in the third or fourth quarter of last year.

“In the past, there were instances in which they tried to approach us. There were Chinese forces dropping nets in the area. This happened, if I'm not mistaken, last quarter of last year or the third quarter of last year. There were such instances,” he said. 

Trinidad emphasized that any adjustments to military tactics in the area would be handled at the unified command level, in accordance with directives from the AFP’s commander-in-chief and the Secretary of National Defense.

“All necessary guidance has already been issued in our operational orders, covering all possible options and scenarios,” he added.

The Ayungin Shoal, also known internationally as Second Thomas Shoal, lies within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. It has been a long-standing flashpoint in maritime tensions between Manila and Beijing.