RORE mission for BRP Sierra Madre completed

BRP Sierra Madre (PNA file photo)

MANILA, Philippines — The regular rotation and reprovisioning (RORE) mission for troops manning the BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57) at Ayungin Shoal was completed without any glitch on November 14, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Friday.

“There were no untoward incidents during the mission,”  AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement, noting that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) assisted in the RORE mission.

No other details, such as the number and names of the resupply vessels and their escorts and time of arrival and departure in Ayungin Shoal, were provided.

“The AFP continues to uphold its mandate of safeguarding Philippine sovereignty and ensuring the welfare of its stationed personnel in the WPS (West Philippine Sea),” Trinidad said.

The last RORE for the BRP Sierra Madre took place on September 26. It was also completed without any untoward incident.

Before the September 26 resupply, the last RORE for the troops standing watch over Ayungin Shoal was on July 27, more than a month after the violent June 17 incident where the China Coast Guard blocked and boarded Filipino vessels on a mission to provide supply there.

A Filipino sailor lost part of his thumb in that incident when Chinese forces pointed weapons against the troops involved in the mission.