MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government said on Saturday, July 27, that “no untoward incidents” happened during a morning resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea — unlike last month’s mission, when the China Coast Guard (CCG) wielded axes and knives and boarded Philippine Navy boats. 

“It was the first RORE [rotation and reprovisioning] mission conducted under the ambit of the understanding reached between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China on principles and approaches” to avoid “misunderstandings and miscalculations, without prejudice to national positions,” the National Security Council (NSC) said in a statement.

In a separate statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said a civilian vessel the MV Lapu-Lapu was escorted by the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Cape Engaño for the mission.

This is the first resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre since the Philippines announced on July 21 that it had reached a “provisional arrangement” with China on how to proceed with missions to Ayungin Shoal. 

Saturday’s mission also took place days before the Philippines’ foreign affairs and defense chiefs are set to meet with their American counterparts during the 4th 2+2 ministerial meeting in Manila on Tuesday, July 30.

The DFA praised the Philippine Navy and PCG for their “professionalism” in the conduct of the “lawful and routine” mission to the BRP Sierra Madre. The department noted that two agencies coordinated closely with the DFA: the NSC and the Department of National Defense. 

Ayungin Shoal is a flashpoint for tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea. Incidents often take place during missions to bring supplies and rotate personnel to the BRP Sierra Madre, an old warship that was run aground in 1999 in response to China’s military build-up in nearby Mischief Reef.

Bringing down tensions

The incident-free Ayungin mission on July 27 caps monthlong efforts in the Philippines to bring down tensions in the South China Sea, which Beijing continues to claim practically in its entirety despite the 2016 Arbitral Ruling. Ayungin Shoal is just over 100 nautical miles away from Palawan.

In early July, Manila hosted a meeting for the Bilateral Communication Mechanism on the South China Sea. The bilateral “arrangement” was announced weeks after — albeit not without a quick exchange of statements between Manila and Beijing’s foreign ministries. 

The Philippines, in announcing the arrangement, said it did “not prejudice each other’s positions in the South China Sea.” But China, in a statement through its own foreign ministry, implied that Manila had agreed to contentious terms — on prior notification of the mission and “on-site verification” by the Chinese. DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said the statement was “inaccurate,” particularly over its claims on those terms. 

Philippine defense and security officials have also been trying to bring down the rhetoric following the CCG’s attack on Philippine soldiers during the June 17 resupply mission. In his third State of the Nation Address, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that while the government “cannot waver,” it “continuously [tries] to find ways to de-escalate tensions in contested areas with our counterparts, without compromising our position and our principles.” 

Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo also recently met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers meeting in Laos. 

Most resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre have been marred by violence or aggressive actions by the Chinese. – Rappler.com