The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has hit back at China over what it described as Beijing’s “deceptive narratives” in the West Philippine Sea, vowing that the Philippines will never abandon the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal.

AFP special spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad (Ret.) said China was attempting to “rewrite history” over the Philippine presence at Ayungin Shoal while overlooking its own actions in the region.

“The AFP rejects the recent statement from the Chinese Embassy in Manila attempting to rewrite history regarding the presence of the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) speaks of ‘promises’ and ‘demands,’ yet it very easily forgets its own track record of deceptive narratives in our waters,” Trinidad said in a statement sent to DAILY TRIBUNE late Saturday.

Trinidad pointed to China’s occupation of Panganiban Reef, also known as Mischief Reef, in 1995, saying Beijing initially portrayed structures there as shelters for fishermen.

“Let us look back to 1995 when the CCP first illegally occupied Panganiban Reef (Mischief Reef), a feature within our EEZ (exclusive economic zone). IT IS ON RECORD that their foreign ministry leadership assured the Philippines and the international community the small, octagonal wooden structures built on stilts were merely ‘shelters for local fishermen’ and explicitly promised that these temporary structures possessed no military purpose,” Trinidad said.

“Today, those ‘shelters’ have been transformed into a fortified, 550-hectare military airbase complete with a 3,000-meter runway, missile emplacements, radar domes and naval berths. Mischief Reef stands as a permanent, concrete monument to their deceptive strategy in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.

Trinidad emphasized that, unlike China’s island-building and militarization activities, the presence of the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal is a lawful Philippine deployment.

“Unlike their illegal island-building and militarization of low-tide elevations inside our EEZ, the presence of the BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal is a lawful, permanent sovereign deployment on a feature over which we exercise sovereign rights and jurisdiction,” Trinidad said.

He cited the 2016 arbitral ruling, which found that Ayungin Shoal, internationally known as Second Thomas Shoal, is a low-tide elevation within the Philippines’ EEZ and that China has no lawful claim to resources within areas falling under the Philippines’ sovereign rights.

“No binding commitment was made to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal,” Trinidad said.

The AFP, he added, remains committed to protecting Philippine sovereignty and maintaining the country’s presence at the shoal.

“The AFP remains firm in executing its mandate to protect Philippine national sovereignty, uphold international law, and maintain our presence on Ayungin Shoal. WE WILL NEVER ABANDON BRP SIERRA MADRE,” Trinidad said.