Day of Valor Rore mission to Ayungin went without incident – AFP

Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal is where the rusting Philippine military outpost, the BRP Sierra Madre is located. —Niño Jesus Orbeta

MANILA, Philippines — The Day of Valor rotation and resupply (Rore) mission in a naval outpost in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea went without any untoward incident, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Wednesday.

The BRP Sierra Madre was grounded Ayungin since 1999 to assert the country’s sovereign rights in the western section of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“As the nation marks the 83rd Anniversary of the Day of Valor, the AFP honors the courage and dedication of our soldiers aboard BRP Sierra Madre who continue to stand guard in the West Philippine Sea to uphold our sovereignty, sovereign rights and national interest,” the AFP said in a statement.

“The Rore was carried out in close coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard and concluded without any untoward incident,” it added.

AFP noted that this is the seventh Rore without untoward incident.

Four resupply missions were held in 2024: In July, Sept. 26, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12; and three this year: in Jan. 24, March 4, and this April 9.

This relatively peaceful Rore was due to the successful Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) between Manila and Beijing about the resupply activity to the BRP Sierra Madre which became one of the flashpoints of tensions between two countries.

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This BCM was made after the Rore in Ayungin last June 17, 2024, which saw the most violent incident that even caused the thumb amputation of one of the country’s naval personnel.

Beijing asserts sovereignty in almost the entire South China Sea, including most of the West Philippine Sea, even if such a claim has been effectively invalidated by the arbitral award issued in July 2016.

This landmark ruling stemmed from a case filed by Manila in 2013, or a year after its tense standoff with Beijing over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, whose lagoon the latter now has an effective control of.