Camille Naredo

The presence of the China Coast Guard (CCG) persists despite the effort of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to block them and assist the four main vessels of the second civilian resupply mission of the Atin Ito Coalition to the Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea May 16, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

The presence of the China Coast Guard (CCG) persists despite the effort of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to block them and assist the four main vessels of the second civilian resupply mission of the Atin Ito Coalition to the Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea May 16, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

WEST PH SEA

Zen Hernandez

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175731886614520240515-atin-ito-wps-MT-39 (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The presence of the China Coast Guard (CCG) persists despite the effort of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to block them and assist the four main vessels of the second civilian resupply mission of the Atin Ito Coalition to the Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea May 16, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File"/>The presence of the China Coast Guard (CCG) persists despite the effort of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to block them and assist the four main vessels of the second civilian resupply mission of the Atin Ito Coalition to the Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea May 16, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA -- The Philippine Navy on Sunday reiterated that the continued presence of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea is illegal, vowing that resupply missions to troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre will continue despite threats from Beijing.Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesperson for the Philippine Navy, confirmed that two China Coast Guard (CCG) ships and seven maritime militia vessels have been spotted near Ayungin Shoal, within the Philippines&#x27; exclusive economic zone (EEZ), yesterday. Although this is less than the number of Chinese vessels monitored recently, Trinidad noted that the numbers fluctuate depending on the weather or situation.&quot;This could be most likely on account of the bad weather, masama yung panahon ngayon sa karagatan natin,&quot; he said.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/5/24-chinese-vessels-spotted-in-ayungin-shoal-as-resupply-mission-looms-1521">READ: 24 Chinese vessels spotted in Ayungin Shoal as resupply mission looms</a></div>Despite this, the &quot;illegal&quot; presence of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea has remained a constant for the last three decades.&quot;We&#x27;re very clear about this. We&#x27;re not against China, marami sa atin may kamag-anak na Chinese, we are against the ruling elite, the party that controls China, the Communist Party of China and their agents in the maritime domain - the CCG, PLA Navy, the maritime militia. Their presence in our EEZ has been illegal for the past 30 years,&quot; Trinidad stressed.Manila and Beijing had been exchanging verbal barbs again, not only due to recent activities at sea, but also due to accusations that the Foreign Minister of Taiwan visited the Philippines recently - an alleged violation of the One China Policy. Beijing has issued a strongly worded warning, saying: &quot;The Philippines will pay the price and all consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the Philippines.&quot; Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. responded by telling China not to impose its red line on the Philippines and not to meddle with things within the bounds of its territory, while emphasizing that the Philippines do not violate commitments.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/29/china-criticizes-ph-for-allowing-visit-of-taiwanese-diplomat-2254">READ: China criticizes PH for allowing visit of Taiwanese diplomat</a></div>For the Philippine Navy, the mandate remains the same.&quot;We take those statements with a grain of salt. They will not deter us from our mandate, from patrolling and conducting resupply missions. Our posturing is not aggressive nor provocative. We are here to secure and protect what is ours,&quot; Trinidad said.&quot;We ensure that all our actions are within the bounds of law. Our posturing is not aggressive, non-provocative, maliwanag yung sinabi ng ating commander in chief, we are not here to provoke. We are here merely to secure and to protect what is ours. Wala naman tayong inaangkin na hindi sa atin. On the other hand, yung sa atin ay pilit inaagaw sa atin,&quot; he added.Despite the presence of Chinese vessels in the Philippine EEZ, a 2024 non-aggression agreement made between the Philippines and China seem to be holding well, as resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre Ayungin remain incident free. Trinidad stressed that resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal are a &quot;moral obligation&quot; of the Philippine government to its soldiers and fishermen.&quot;We cannot allow our troops on BRP Sierra Madre or our fisherfolk to go hungry. Supporting them is our duty and a moral obligation of our leadership,&quot; he said, adding that details of the operations are determined by the Western Command.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/26/afp-confirms-presence-of-tugboat-near-ayungin-shoal-says-brp-sierra-madre-firmly-anchored-1602">READ: AFP confirms presence of tugboat near Ayungin Shoal, says BRP Sierra Madre ‘firmly anchored’</a></div>The last successful resupply mission was in July, with the next one to be conducted depending on operational assessments.Asked about reports of crushed corals near Sabina and Hasa-Hasa shoals, Trinidad clarified that this year no foreign vessels were observed dumping corals in the area, attributing recent changes to natural tidal action. However, the Philippines is not letting its guard down.&quot;The role of the Philippine Navy and the AFP is to ensure na walang mangyaring man-made activity, human induced or activities that would show they are deliberately dumping crushed corals. Eto naman this could be a, this could lead to more reclamation activities, ayaw natin ng ganon. In the event may na-monitor na ganito inaakyat natin ito to DND, to the Security Council, to the maritime council for the appropriate action of government,&quot; Trinidad explained.He added that stronger coordination among the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and other agencies has improved maritime domain awareness. Trinidad also highlighted the Armed Forces&#x27; modernization program, citing new naval facilities, aircraft, and patrol vessels as crucial in extending operations and strengthening surveillance.

The Philippine Navy on Sunday reiterated that the continued presence of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea is illegal, vowing that resupply missions to troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre will continue despite threats from Beijing.

The Philippine Navy on Sunday reiterated that the continued presence of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea is illegal, vowing that resupply missions to troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre will continue despite threats from Beijing.

Resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre a 'moral obligation' - PH Navy

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Nation

Resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre a 'moral obligation' - PH Navy

Zen Hernandez,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 08, 2025 04:10 PM PHT

Read More:

Philippines

China

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

Philippine Navy

BRP Sierra Madre

China Coast Guard

Ayungin Shoal

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.