China may be monitoring resupply to Sierra Madre – PCG

MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese may be regularly monitoring Filipino vessels heading for Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, as shown by the prompt arrival of their ships – usually from different directions – during resupply missions of the Philippine Coast Guard for troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre, according to the PCG.

“That is a possibility. Maybe they can monitor us, I do not know via satellite, through AIS (Automatic Identification System). There is a possibility for the Chinese government to monitor our movement for resupply,” PCG spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said yesterday in an interview over dzBB.

He recalled that Chinese vessels started swarming around the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on Aug. 4 or a day before two PCG ships – BRP Cabra and BRP Malabrigo – and two resupply boats arrived in the area for a resupply operation.

The PCG had to call off the mission after the China Coast Guard (CCG) blasted one of the Filipino vessels with water cannon. Only one resupply was able to unload its cargo of provisions for the soldiers on Sierra Madre.

“When we tracked the six Chinese Coast Guard vessels, we were able to monitor that they came from different places. It just so happened that on the day of the resupply mission, that is the time they came to Ayungin Shoal,” Tarriela said.

“The swarming of the six CCG vessels happened a day before the resupply mission, for them to effectively block the resupply mission of the PCG and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),” he said.

Prior to the water cannon attack, the six CCG ships were positioned elsewhere such as around Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Zamora (Subi) Reef, Pagasa Island and Bajo de Masinloc, and joined forces only on the day of the supply run for Sierra Madre.

Tarriela explained that only a few CCG ships and Chinese maritime militia vessels would stay in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal during ordinary days or when there is no resupply mission.

Meanwhile, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and JV Ejercito belied insinuations that it was their father former president Joseph Estrada who, during his term, agreed with China to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin.

Estrada said the debate over the matter has become “irrelevant” with President Marcos’ declaration of having “rescinded” such an agreement if there had ever been one at all.

“This renders the debate about a possible promise made during the former president’s tenure to the Chinese government irrelevant,” Estrada said.

Ejercito called the allegation against their father “very inconsistent” as it was he who ordered the grounding of the Sierra Madre on Ayungin.

“I don’t know the basis of the statement. They must remember that the first salvo of Chinese intrusion was through NBN ZTE,” he said, referring to the botched national broadband deal with Chinese firm ZTE Corp. during the Arroyo administration.

“At least he had the balls to claim our territory against a super power. They should have continued the work. Now, China has expanded its claim, so it’s their fault,” he said, referring to Estrada’s successors.

Estrada said former senator Orlando Mercado, who held the position of defense secretary during his father’s tenure, confirmed during their phone conversation that there was “no agreement or promise” whatsoever made to the Chinese government.

“Any assertion of such a commitment contradicts the rationale behind the government’s decision at that time to station BRP Sierra Madre at the shoal,” he added.

“This move was primarily undertaken to assert our country’s claim and establish a presence in the area. As the chief architect of foreign policy, President Marcos Jr. is firmly committed to keeping the Navy ship at the shoal, which is unambiguously within the Philippines’ territorial boundaries,” he pointed out.

He also said no other country should dictate Philippine actions regarding its territory. Marcos’ firm stance not to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal, he said, demonstrates his unwavering dedication to protect Philippine sovereignty.

“As the nation’s highest ranking official, he is responsible for preserving and defending our country’s territorial integrity, particularly when faced with external challenges in maritime zones,” he said.