West Philippine Sea resupply mission to resume on indefinite date

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy has no definite date to restart the resupply mission to Philippine-controled maritime features in the disputed West Philippines Sea after problems were encountered with the delivery ship.

Navy spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo said the resupply mission to Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, which is part of Palawan province, will continue once BRP Laguna (LT-501) has been repaired.

Arevalo, who declined to give a timeline for the repair in an interview with a state news outfit, said it will not take long as the damage sustained by the vessel is not severe.

On February 4, the BRP Laguna left Puerto Princesa in Palawan to deliver goods to Pag-asa Island. It sailed first to the Rizal Detachment (Commodore Reef) where some personnel are stationed and arrived on February 6. The vessel, however, returned to its origin after experiencing a mechanical problem amid inclement weather.

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Western Command spokesperson Capt. Cheryl Tindog said the ship's main engine number 2 broke down two days after the ship arrived at the Rizal Detachment.

"They (the crew of BRP Laguna) decided to go back to Balabac for repairs and sailed on single engine only. They arrived there last February 10," Tindog said in a state news report.

He said the ship would have arrived back in Puerto Princesa by Monday if it did not encounter technical malfunction.

The Philippines has Marine units deployed in Ayungin Shoal, Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, Lawak (Nanshan) Island, Parola (Northeast Cay) Island, Patag (Flat) Island, Kota (Loaita) Island, Rizal (Commodore) Reef, Likas (West York) Island, and Panata (Lankiam Cay) Island amid an ongoing maritime row with China and other neighboring countries.