The supply boat of the Philippine Navy received another radio challenge from the Chinese Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea.
In Carlo Mateo’s report on Super Radyo dzBB this Sunday, Major Cherryl Tindog, spokesperson of the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, confirmed the said radio challenge.
However, Tindog said that despite the radio challenge from the CCG vessel, the Philippine Navy still completed the resupply mission on December 17 for the troops commanding the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.
In a statement, WESCOM said the radio challenge contained the words “under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China,” the sea where the Philippine ship is near, and they allowed it to deliver the supplies.
But bringing construction materials threatened to be another matter.
Subsequently, WESCOM also mentioned the tailing of the CCG vessel and maneuvering near the Philippine supply boat.
“These radio challenges would always be followed by CCG’s shadowing and close maneuvers against Philippine supply boats to try to disrupt the mission,” WESCOM said.
“The Philippine supply boats, on the other hand, would respond and proceed to their planned route despite the challenges,” it added.
Chinese Coast Guard sends radio challenge to Navy in Ayungin Shoal
Meanwhile, WESCOM commander Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos reiterated the importance of BRP Sierra Madre, which serves as the country’s closest outpost to China’s military garrison in Mischief Reef.
“The Mischief garrison is in our country’s exclusive economic zone and is China’s closest military facility to Palawan. That is why resupply missions are critical in maintaining our presence in Ayungin,” Carlos insisted.
Last week, senators could not hide their anger after witnessing the incident of harassment of Philippine Navy personnel by an alleged Chinese vessel near the Pag-asa Islands in the West Philippine Sea last November.
In the video shown by Sen. Francis Tolentino in the Senate, it can be seen that while Philippine Navy personnel were pulling debris from an allegedly fallen part of the rocket while carrying a rubber boat, it was forcibly blocked by what he said was a Chinese vessel and cut the rope.
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