Ched Rick Gatchalian

The AFP confirms the presence of a People’s Liberation Army Navy tugboat in Ayungin Shoal.
But PH Navy spokesperson for the West PH Sea RADM Roy Vincent Trinidad says it is not a cause for concern, stressing that a single tugboat would not be enough to tow the BRP Sierra Madre. Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

AFP confirms presence of tugboat near Ayungin Shoal, says BRP Sierra Madre ‘firmly anchored’

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday confirmed the presence of a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy tugboat in Ayungin Shoal.</p><p>The tugboat was spotted some five nautical miles from the grounded BRP Sierra Madre on Monday.</p><p>However, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said that it was not a cause for concern as a single tugboat would not be enough to tow the BRP Sierra Madre, which serves as the country’s naval outpost in the shoal.</p><p>“The monitoring by the Philippine Navy and the AFP for the past days have noted the presence of a tugboat only yesterday. While this is not a cause for alarm, it is not also a reason for us to be prepared for them to tow away BRP Sierra Madre. It will take more than a tugboat to pull out BRP Sierra Madre,” Trinidad told reporters in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.</p><p>“Our assessment is that this is more for their own use in the event that they would need a tugboat to pull out any of their ships that would run aground in the shallow portion of Ayungin Shoal,” he added.</p><p>Trinidad said the grounded vessel was &quot;firmly anchored&quot; to the corals in the shoal.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/21/armed-chinese-boats-aircraft-uav-spotted-in-ayungin-afp-2339">Armed Chinese boats, aircraft, UAV spotted in Ayungin — AFP</a></div><p>“Hindi basta-basta magawa ‘yan [ma-tow ang barko] sapagkat firmly anchored &#x27;yung BRP Sierra Madre. It is strongly anchored on corals. Kumbaga, matibay siya doon,” the official said.</p><p>On August 20, the AFP reported that Chinese maritime forces have stepped up their presence and activities inside and around Ayungin Shoal.</p><p>Overall, the military monitored 25 vessels and small boats of the China Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese maritime militia vessels, and two air assets of the PLA Navy.</p><p>In a video released by the AFP last week, two Philippine rubber boats were seen blocking the attempt of a CCG rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) to go near the BRP Sierra Madre.</p><p>Troops stationed there have been successful in driving away Chinese vessels that had entered the shoal, according to officials.</p><p>“The vessel that was driven away or pushed back was the speedboat that tried to come closer to BRP Sierra Madre. There was a first attempt of two speedboats and one RHIB to come close to Sierra Madre, [but they] eventually left. [This was] followed by a speedboat that tried to come closer, but two of our RHIBs [were] able to block them and to drive them away and they complied,” Trinidad said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/25/philippines-monitoring-increased-presence-of-chinese-vessels-in-ayungin-shoal-teodoro-1239">Philippines monitoring ‘increased presence’ of Chinese vessels in Ayungin Shoal – Teodoro</a></div><p>As of Monday, August 25, the number of Chinese vessels in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal went down to 16—two CCG ships, 13 maritime militia vessels, and one PLA Navy tugboat.</p><p>“From a longer perspective, a strategic perspective, the illegal presence, the coercive and aggressive actions of the Chinese Communist Party and the party&#x27;s agents in the maritime domain are still there. So, for the past almost 30 years, for Ayungin Shoal, for the past one week, we have seen an increase in their presence—from the average of seven maritime militia vessels and two coast guard vessels,” the Navy official said.</p><p>“The tension has always been there since we noticed their illegal presence for the past three decades or 30 years. We do not look at this in a short span of time. We look at this from a comprehensive perspective. And again, the approach of the Chinese Communist Party is slowly to erode our sovereignty by doing encroachment activities; it is salami slicing. If we don&#x27;t call this out, they would like us to adapt to the new normal and to accept their actions and their presence, which are all illegal, coercive, and aggressive,” Trinidad added. </p><div> </div><div><strong>CONTINGENCIES IN PLACE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Asked if rules of engagement had been updated to include the use of lethal force, Trinidad said that the AFP was ready for any eventuality.</p><p>“There are contingencies already in place for any eventuality that may arise due to the coercive and aggressive actions of the PLA Navy, Coast Guard or the maritime militia. Yes, they are already in place,” Trinidad said.</p><p>But he clarified that the military’s posture remained defensive.</p><p>“The stand of the AFP has always been within the guidance of the Commander-in-Chief. We are not here to provoke. We are not here to claim what is not ours. We are here merely to secure and to defend what is rightfully and legally ours,” he added.</p><p>Trinidad said the morale of troops at the BRP Sierra Madre remained high.</p><p>“Our men have been aboard the BRP Sierra Madre for a quarter of a century—for 26 years now. They are used to it. The men there are veterans of the Mindanao campaign. Sanay ito sa hard life,” Trinidad noted.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/22/afp-says-chinese-activities-in-ayungin-shoal-unusual-1912">AFP says Chinese activities in Ayungin Shoal ‘unusual’</a></div><p>“If you notice the videos being posted, they have been jeering at the maritime militia and the Chinese Coast Guard. This only indicates that their morale is sky-high. The commander of Wescom [the Western Command] has been very strong and very firm in providing them support. The RORE [rotation and resupply mission] will continue. We have seen the support of the national leadership, the Department of Defense, and Joint Headquarters of the AFP,” he added.</p><div> </div><div><strong>RESUPPLY MISSIONS  </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Despite increased Chinese activities in the area, the AFP reiterated that rotation and resupply (RORE) missions to the BRP Sierra Madre would continue.</p><p>“The rotation and reprovisioning of our forces is a moral obligation of the leadership of the Armed Forces. Regardless of any threat, any coercive aggressive action, it will be conducted. We owe it to the men and women in the frontlines to provide them with the appropriate support that they need, especially food and other important supplies,” Trinidad said.</p><p>Trinidad also cited President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s earlier pronouncement that the death of a Filipino during such operations would trigger the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States.</p><p>“The commander-in-chief mentioned that the death of a Filipino will be grounds for invoking the MDT. This was amplified by the chief of staff of the AFP. This is now a red line. Any death of a Filipino due to the coercive and aggressive actions of the CCG, the PLA Navy, and the Chinese maritime militia is a red line for the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” the Navy official furthered.</p><p>On Sunday, AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military would conduct another RORE mission to the BRP Sierra Madre “one of these days.”</p><p>According to Brawner, the AFP hopes Beijing will continue to respect its provisional understanding with Manila on the conduct of resupply missions in the shoal.</p><p>“Pareho pa rin ang preparations natin for the resupply mission because we believe that the agreement set by the DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs] and their Chinese counterpart still stands, kaya we are optimistic na pagdating sa time na magre-resupply tayo, rerespetuhin nila ang ating resupply mission,” Brawner said.</p><p>“It is our right to do the resupply mission dahil karapatan nating suportahan ang ating mga tropa sa BRP Sierra Madre,” he said. </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><iframe width="1100" height="619" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p-7MuZWwPKw" title="PH, India navies hold joint patrols in West Philippine Sea | ANC" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="1100" height="619" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jVaxuxWGPOo" title="PH coast guard suspects casualties in collision of two Chinese vessels in West PH Sea | ANC" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><strong> </strong></div>

<p>The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday confirmed the presence of a People’s Liberation Army Navy tugboat in Ayungin Shoal.</p>

The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday confirmed the presence of a People’s Liberation Army Navy tugboat in Ayungin Shoal.