Chinese vessels at Ayungin Shoal down to nine amid bad weather – Navy

(INQUIRER FILES)

MANILA, Philippines — The number of Chinese vessels near Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal dropped from 24 to nine over the weekend due to bad weather, the Philippine Navy said on Tuesday.

At a press briefing in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad said two China Coast Guard ships and seven Chinese maritime militia vessels were monitored on Sunday.

“The numbers went down slightly. This was most likely because of the bad weather in our seas,” Trinidad said, noting the figure was lower than what was observed in the past two weeks.

He stressed, however, that the Chinese vessels’ presence remains “illegal” as Ayungin lies within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The shoal is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan.

“So long as their illegal presence remains, the potential for any escalation will always be there,” Trinidad warned.

Trinidad noted that while the number of Chinese ships decreased due to weather conditions, their activities within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone remain unlawful.

“If you refer to the presence for the past 30 years, they have been illegal within our EEZ,” he said.

Troop resupply, support

Asked about reports of a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre outpost, Trinidad said it is the military leadership’s “moral obligation” to ensure support for troops stationed there.

“The specifics — the when, the where, and the how — we leave to the unified commanders,” he said, assuring the public that “frontline units will remain supported by the AFP leadership.”

Chinese ships have repeatedly shadowed or blocked Philippine resupply missions to the outpost, prompting diplomatic protests from Manila.

 Fleet modernization

As the Navy reported the situation in Ayungin, Capt. Benjo Negranza, acting director of the Naval Public Affairs Office, said in a statement that the future BRP Diego Silang (FFG-07) conducted a coordinated meeting at sea with the Coast Guard’s BRP Gabriela Silang off Zambales on Monday as part of its preparations for commissioning.

The warship is the Philippine Navy’s second Miguel Malvar-class guided-missile frigate and part of the military’s modernization program.

Negranza said the maneuver is aimed at enhancing interoperability between the Navy and Coast Guard while demonstrating the growing capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under its ongoing modernization program.

Rear Adm. Joe Anthony Orbe, commander of the Philippine Fleet, oversaw the exercise aboard the Navy frigate, while his son, Coast Guard Ensign Joshua Orbe, was aboard BRP Gabriela Silang for shipboard familiarization training, Negranza added.

He said the event honored the legacy of Diego and Gabriela Silang, symbolizing heroism and unity, while also highlighting the Navy’s efforts to modernize its fleet and improve operational readiness. /gsg