Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. has observed an escalation in China’s aggression towards resupply missions for troops aboard BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, as evidenced by the latest incident on March 23.
Brawner expressed concern about the growing level of aggression from China, noting that during his participation in the mission alongside Western Command (Wescom) Chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos last December, the intensity of the water cannoning was not as severe as it was last Saturday.
“Nung kami ni CWC ang sumakay sa UM1 last December, at nakapunta kami sa Sierra Madre, hindi ganun kalakas yung water cannon nila. But this time ay talagang malakas. Yung pressure ng water was enough to throw one of our personnel at mabuti na lang merong wall at doon siya tumama. Kung wala yung dingding na yun, he could have been thrown overboard,” Brawner said in a press conference on Tuesday.
Brawner along with Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan went to Wescom to visit personnel who were hurt during the March 23 resupply mission.
He also noted that the most recent incident was not only the most dangerous but also the first time that the CCG tried to completely prevent the resupply boat from reaching BRP Sierra Madre.
He added that the mission was still partially successful, as personnel and supplies were still delivered after rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIB) from BRP Sierra Madre were able to reach them.
Furthermore, he stated that despite the latest incident, the AFP remains committed to continuing its mission and will not be deterred by Chinese harassment.
“As you have seen the condition of our personnel in the hospital, despite getting hurt, they remain hopeful and are still willing to go back,” he said.
He explained that the RORE missions will continue because BRP Sierra Madre, intentionally grounded in Ayungin Shoal, is still considered a commissioned Philippine Navy ship manned by AFP personnel.
He mentioned that the AFP, PCG, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) are in discussions to devise new strategies for future resupply missions to prevent similar incidents from occurring again.
“We will be adjusting our operations but definitely, we cannot divulge what adjustments will be made,” he said.
“Marami kaming napag-usapan (sa security cluster meeting) hindi lamang yung operations dito sa baba. Pero lahat ng pwede nating gawin as a country using all the instrument that are available to us,” he added.
When asked to comment on China’s recent warning to ‘prepare to bear the consequences,’ Brawner stated that he does not know their objective.
“Hindi natin alam kung ano yung tinutukoy ng China na higit pa doon sa ginawa nila nung nakaraan yung susunod na gagawin nila. But rest assured, tayo sa AFP ay handang-handa. Malakas ang loob natin, ilang taon na tayong lumalaban kaya pagdating sa tibay ng loob ay talagang matibay tayo bilang mga sundalo,” he stated.
“At ang main objective natin is to maintain our presence in the West Philippine Sea to be able to protect our sovereignty and our sovereign rights,” he elaborated.
Meanwhile, Carlos stated that the latest mission, being unscheduled, required only one boat to transport the necessary troops and supplies, with no other factors influencing the decision.
“Operational requirements dictate the number of boats that we will use. And in this particular mission, UM4 is enough to carry all the personnel and supplies. That’s why we used only UM4,” Carlos explained.
He further stated that with UM4 now unavailable, there are still other available boats that can be used for the next resupply mission.
“Hindi naman nauubos (ang resupply boats). What I was trying to point out is the CCG is really causing damages to our boats. But as far as the future ROREs, we are studying all our options and the bottom line is we will continue to resupply our troops in Ayungin,” he said.
“We’re studying all possible scenarios and we’re ready for that, kung ano man yung gagawin nila. Our troops on the ground, sa Sierra Madre and those performing RORE mission are all prepared for a worst-case scenario,” he added.
