Resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal postponed over technical difficulty —AFP

The resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal has been postponed because one of the indigenous boats used for the purpose, Unaiza Mae 1, has experienced “technical difficulty,” the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Monday.

In a press conference, AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said she has no further information on the specific issue.

“Siyempre, we're dependent on the vessel that is going to be used. At this point, we identified, there was a technical difficulty on the vessel that was supposed to be used for such mission,” she said.

“So until such time that we determine that that vessel going to be used is seaworthy. That's the time na we can reschedule another [rotation and resupply] mission,”” she added.

Asked about the possibility that the BRP Sierra Madre crew will starve as the last RoRe mission was a month ago, Padilla said the troops are ready for any eventuality and the AFP will find ways to provide for them.

On December 10, 2023, Unaizah Mae 1 (UM1) was subjected to "reckless and dangerous harassment at close range” as well as rammed by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel during a resupply mission.

Ayungin Shoal is part of the Kalayaan Island Group, which is an integral part of the Philippines, as well as the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, over which the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction.

The BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded at the Ayungin Shoal since 1999. It is manned by more than a dozen Marines and sailors and has become a symbol of Philippine sovereignty in the offshore territory.

Tensions between China and the Philippines have heightened in recent months as both sides trade accusations over a series of incidents in the South China Sea.

China claims most of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia. 

An international tribunal in 2016 invalidated China's claim in a ruling on a case brought by the Philippines, which Beijing rejects.

The Philippines includes areas of the South China Sea that falls within its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as part of the West Philippine Sea. — BM, GMA Integrated News