The Armed Forces of the Philippines shows videos of the China Coast Guard’s seizure and dumping of food supplies meant for Filipino soldiers stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="3051130"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><div><span dir="ltr" id="isPasted"></span></div><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">MANILA (UPDATE) — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday showed videos of the China Coast Guard’s alleged seizure and dumping of food supplies meant for Filipino soldiers stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">During the mission conducted on May 19, CCG personnel intercepted one of the four supply packages airdropped by a military aircraft due to suspicions that this carried construction materials for the BRP Sierra Madre.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">The video showed two rigid hull inflatable boats of the CCG and two rubber boats of the Philippine Navy rushing to pick up the essential food supplies.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">“We did four sorties or rounds of resupply. We were able to recover three of them. Unfortunately, one of the packages was intercepted by the Chinese. It was the second airdrop where the Chinese came in,” AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">“When the second package was dropped, they went to the area to recover it despite the fact that our boats were already there. Nakipag-agawan pa sila. Inunahan pa tayo. They opened the package. When they saw it was only food stuff, they threw it back into the water,” he added.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">Brawner said the CCG must have thought that the supplies were construction materials.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">“Siguro naghahanap sila ng construction materials (They were probably looking for construction materials). Some of the supplies were recovered, but most sunk. Sayang (What a waste),&quot; he said.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">Brawner said China’s actions were &quot;illegal.&quot;</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">&quot;Hindi naman dapat ginagawa iyan in the international order. You’re not supposed to confiscate the supplies of another country, even in war… Supplies are allowed to pass through for humanitarian reasons,” he said.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">Despite the CCG’s attempt to spoil the airdrop operation, the AFP said the mission had still been “largely successful.”</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">Brawner said the military would continue supplying troops in the West Philippine Sea.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">“This is a normal occurrence, ‘yung rotation [and resupply]. We want to maintain the well-being of our soldiers,” he said. “Definitely, we will continue doing our RoRe missions because it is our obligation to take care of our personnel.”</p><div style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/4/afp-denies-brp-sierra-madre-troops-pointed-guns-at-ccg-personnel-919" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AFP denies BRP Sierra Madre troops pointed guns at China Coast Guard</a><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/08/07/23/why-is-a-rusty-philippine-warship-involved-in-the-south-china-sea-dispute" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><br/><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/08/07/23/why-is-a-rusty-philippine-warship-involved-in-the-south-china-sea-dispute" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why is a rusty Philippine warship involved in the South China Sea dispute?</a></div><div><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px"><strong>&#x27;ZERO COMMON SENSE&#x27;</strong></div><div style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px"> </div><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">Meanwhile, a Philippine Navy official described personnel of the China Coast Guard as having “zero common sense” over their actions.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">“They lack common sense. We could not airdrop construction materials. Their narrative is that they do the blocking because of the construction materials. I would like to point out that they have zero common sense,” Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad told reporters in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Tuesday.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">The AFP has employed an “operational mix” to include the conduct of airdrop operations to evade China’s blockade in regular rotation and resupply (RoRe) missions to the West Philippine Sea.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">“We did that [airdrop operation] in a peaceful manner, kaya naisip na natin mag-airdrop na lang para walang resistance at harassment. Still, ganun pa rin. Ayaw tayong tantanan. We really have to assert our sovereignty in the area,”  Brawner said in the same press briefing.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">The BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting World War 2 ship deliberately grounded by the Philippines on the shoal in 1999 to assert its stake in the area, has become a major flashpoint in the West Philippine Sea conflict.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">Beijing has previously employed &quot;dangerous maneuvers&quot; — such as the use of water cannon — against Manila&#x27;s vessels near Ayungin Shoal, especially during resupply missions for troops stationed there.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">Also recently, China has reportedly seized relief supplies air dropped to a Philippine Navy outpost in the Ayungin Shoal.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">The 2 countries have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea and there have been repeated confrontations between their vessels near disputed reefs in recent months.</p><p style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px">China claims almost the entire South China Sea, brushing off rival claims from other countries, including the Philippines, as well as an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.</p><div style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/3/senators-condemn-china-s-alleged-seizing-of-ayungin-bound-supplies-1608?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0Dswak8y26jOyhJygmY5elBya5sODNxtLXfKtI_rYsUerDw3371AywqMM_aem_ATELKyy7c8yCKWchu166fvt5drLycRR0TS3nUT8m_EcKIxSGRt4Tv-QEmlvRDwl1CeMDUO09tzGnwLKwIKWIX0y4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Senators condemn China&#x27;s alleged &#x27;seizing&#x27; of Ayungin-bound supplies</a><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/4/afp-denies-brp-sierra-madre-troops-pointed-guns-at-ccg-personnel-919" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><br/><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/4/afp-denies-brp-sierra-madre-troops-pointed-guns-at-ccg-personnel-919" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lawmakers slam China Coast Guard for seizing Ayungin Shoal supplies</a><strong> </strong></div><div><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:8px;margin-top:0px"><strong>—With report from Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><style type="text/css" id="isPasted">
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<p>The AFP on Tuesday showed videos of the China Coast Guard’s seizure and dumping of food supplies meant for Filipino soldiers stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.</p>

The AFP on Tuesday showed videos of the China Coast Guard’s seizure and dumping of food supplies meant for Filipino soldiers stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

China Coast Guard 'seized, dumped' supplies meant for Ayungin troops: AFP

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China Coast Guard 'seized, dumped' supplies meant for Ayungin troops: AFP

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 04, 2024 12:02 PM PHT

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Updated Jun 04, 2024 04:57 PM PHT

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China

Beijing

South China Sea

Ayungin shoal

BRP Sierra Madre

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