PCG: No need yet for foreign support for resupply missions

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Saturday that the Philippines does not yet need support from its allies to conduct resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre, despite the recent actions by China. 

“Right now, we don’t see any reason that we will be requesting any foreign actors to support our ordinary and routine resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre,” said Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, in JP Soriano’s report on “24 Oras Weekend.” 

The China Coast Guard rammed into a Filipino vessel that was performing a resupply mission to the grounded Philippine Navy ship on Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on June 17, which caused a Navy personnel to lose his thumb and injured other Filipino troops. 

Despite evidence from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that the Chinese personnel threatened Filipino troops with bladed and pointed weapons, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said on Friday that the incident was not an armed attack. 

Meanwhile, a report by Global Times, a tabloid newspaper by the Chinese Communist Party, alleged that the Philippines secretly transferred materials to the BRP Sierra Madre, citing an exclusive video. 

The report said that the Filipino troops “secretly transported large quantities of construction materials to the illegally grounded warship, aiming to repair and reinforce it to turn it into a permanent facility.” 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the recent tension in Ayungin Shoal was Manila’s fault after it “breached its commitments and refused to tow away the warship illegally grounded at Ren’ ai Jiao for 25 years.” 

GMA Integrated News has reached out to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the AFP for comments. 

The PCG maintained that China’s harassment of the Philippines during its resupply mission “highlights their flagrant violation of international law.” 

“It is evident that their greedy ambition has driven them to resort to violence,” said Tarriela in a post on X (formerly Twitter), in response to the Chinese report. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/VBL, GMA Integrated News