The Philippines has contingency plans at the ready if China attempts to seize the BRP Sierra Madre, which is grounded at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, a high-ranking Navy official confirmed Tuesday.
Philippine Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad gave this assurance in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.
“We do not rate possible options of any potential adversary. Nevertheless, we have the appropriate plans, contingency plans in place,” Trinidad told reporters.
He said the Armed Forces of the Philippines stands ready to implement any policy decisions regarding the situation.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. had earlier suggested in a CBS News “60 Minutes” interview that a Chinese takeover of the BRP Sierra Madre would be considered an act of war against a Philippine vessel. He expressed the hope that the US would intervene if China attempts to remove the ship from Ayungin Shoal.
“We will react and naturally we would expect it,” he said.
“There are people in there and that is an outpost of Philippine sovereignty. So we are not talking about a rusty old vessel. So we are talking about a piece of Philippine territory there,” Teodoro added.
AFP: China has never controlled shoal
Meanwhile, despite the significant number of Chinese vessels swarming the disputed Escoda Shoal, Trinidad stressed that “Beijing was never in control of the shoal.”
Trinidad reported a decrease in the number of Chinese vessels since the Philippine Coast Guard withdrew its vessel, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, on 14 September.
As of Monday, nine China Coast Guard vessels, four People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels, and 52 Chinese Maritime Militia vessels — totaling 65 ships — were monitored at the shoal. This was a slight decrease from the 68 vessels seen the previous week.
Trinidad clarified the substantial Chinese presence did not imply that Beijing controlled the area.
“They have never been in control. Their presence there is illegal. We will continue to perform our mandate and will not be deterred,” he said.
Over the past week, the Philippine Navy has tracked a total of 157 Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea, down from 207 vessels recorded from 3 to 9 September. The decrease was attributed partly to weather conditions affecting the northern part of the Kalayaan Island Group.
Trinidad also noted no significant increase in reclamation activities at Escoda Shoal, as maritime patrols and air surveillance continued.
“We have not observed any man-made activities causing significant changes,” he said.
The heightened focus on Escoda Shoal began earlier this year due to concerns about potential foreign reclamation. “We increased attention to the shoal to determine whether changes in its height were due to tidal actions or human activities,” the spokesperson explained.
The National Maritime Council has indicated that a replacement for the Teresa Magbanua is en route to the disputed shoal.
Escoda Shoal is located within 75 nautical miles of mainland Palawan and falls within the country’s exclusive economic zone.