Maritime council wants PH resupply mission to continue, publicized
This screengrab taken from a handout video filmed on June 17, 2024, and released by Armed Forces of the Philippines-Public Affairs Office (AFP-PAO) on June 19 shows Chinese coast guard personnel (L,R) aboard their inflatable boats blocking Philippine nNvy boats (C) during a confrontation at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. The Philippine military said on June 19, the Chinese coast guard rammed and boarded Filipino navy boats in a violent confrontation in the South China Sea this week in which a Filipino sailor lost a thumb. China defended its actions, with its foreign ministry saying that “no direct measures” were taken against Filipino personnel. ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES-PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE / AFP
MANILA, Philippines — The National Maritime Council on Friday recommended to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to continue and publicize its rotation and resupply missions to China.
It was Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Presidential Assistant on Maritime Concerns Andres Centino who announced the said recommendations.
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“Among these recommendations is the announcement of RoRe (Rotation and Resupply) mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin shoal shall remain routinary and will be scheduled regularly,” Bersamin said in a sudden press conference.
Asked what this new recommendation’s difference is to the current directive, Bersamin responded that part of it is to “publicize the schedule for activities to BRP Sierra Madre] without giving up anything.”
Article continues after this advertisement“We just don’t know that if the reason for this is there was no prior knowledge in the part of China that we were resupplying. They knew that we had to resupply, that we were resupplying, it’s just a normal routinary matter,” said Bersamin referring to the June 17 ramming incident in Ayungin Shoal.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: PH Navy sailor loses thumb, others injured in CCG ramming incident
“So in the best interest of all parties, I think it [is] a wise decision for the President to accept our recommendation to publicize the schedule for activities without giving up anything. Wala namang masama doon, eh,” he added.
Meanwhile, Centino said the move was part of the country’s efforts to “assert our sovereignty to China.”
Asked if the RoRe missions will now be conducted by the military, Bersamin responded that it will stay as a civilian effort.
READ: West Philippine Sea: Filipino sailors fought armed CCGs ‘with bare hands’
“Civilian talaga yung effort na ‘yan. But you must realize also that the people there in Sierra Madre are military components. So if ever there is a rotation, you replace those people there. To that extent, military ‘yun,” he added.
The recommendations were made after Bersamin led the second meeting of the National Maritime Council at Malacañang.
