Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos stated that Western Command remains steadfast in its commitment to conducting rotation and reprovisioning missions for troops stationed aboard BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.
He emphasized on Tuesday the importance of ensuring the success of these missions and maintaining a continuous troop presence, despite the persistent challenges posed by China Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels.
The Western Command (Wescom) chief affirmed that they are fully committed to ensuring the success of rotation and resupply (RoRes) operations, pointing out that they will employ all necessary measures to achieve this goal.
He also reiterated previous statements that, under the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., BRP Sierra Madre will continue to be stationed in Ayungin Shoal, with troop presence guaranteed.
Additionally, he noted the availability of resources, such as alternative boats, to compensate for the absence of the indigenous boats, which are typically utilized during resupply missions. He mentioned that Unaizah Mays 2 and 4, damaged in prior water cannoning attacks by China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, are presently undergoing repairs.
“We have boats available to use,” Carlos said.
“Whatever we need to do, whatever resources that can do the mission and ensure a higher level of success to accomplish the task, we will do that,” he stated.
Meanwhile, former Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff and now Presidential Adviser on Maritime Affairs Secretary Andres Centino said the resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal shows the government’s and that of AFP’s strong resolve to assert the country’s rights and sovereignty in WPS.
“We can see that even with all these challenges, we were still able to resupply. We were able to complete our mission despite the incident that happened. That only shows that we are resolute in asserting our presence there. Otherwise, hindi na natin tinuloy,” Centino said.
“The resupply that we had the last time would only show the strong resolve of this government and the AFP that we will assert our presence there by completing our mission. It has happened before, there have been similar incidents and this is the first time that we had some of our personnel injured, but despite, we still continue with our mission nonetheless,” he added.
