PH completes resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre

CNN Philippines

The Philippines finally gets to deliver fresh provisions for troops of BRP Sierra Madre in the West Philippine Sea weeks after the water cannon incident with Beijing.  Senior correspondent David Santos has the details.  Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/  Follow our social media pages:  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/ • Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines

Transcript

00:00 In a statement, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea announced it has successfully

00:05 conducted the latest round of rotation and resupply mission at Ayungin or Second Thomas

00:11 Shoal.

00:12 On board the same civilian supply boats escorted by two Coast Guard vessels, the fresh provisions

00:17 were delivered on Tuesday for troops stationed at BRP Sierra Madre.

00:22 This despite renewed attempts by the Chinese Coast Guard and its maritime militia to block

00:28 the operation.

00:29 "Things were over fairly quickly.

00:30 There wasn't sort of a long back and forth as there sometimes is."

00:34 In anticipation of this latest resupply mission, defense expert Ray Powell has been keeping

00:39 track of the movement of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

00:43 It can be recalled tensions broke out near Ayungin Shoal last August 5 after China blocked

00:50 and fired water cannons on Filipino vessels.

00:53 The Philippines vowing to carry on with these supply missions, insisting it has legal reasons

00:58 to carry out administrative functions over the West Philippine Sea.

01:03 And this may include repairing the dilapidated BRP Sierra Madre.

01:06 "Even if China says it is prohibited to repair it, it cannot be done because that

01:11 is a commissioned ship of the Philippine Navy."

01:15 Experts have been urging Manila to find a long-term solution to keeping watch over Ayungin

01:20 Shoal since BRP Sierra Madre can break up anytime soon.

01:24 But General Bronner says it is unlikely that the government will consider running aground

01:29 another Navy vessel on Ayungin.

01:31 "If we do it again, the Chinese ship can break up and other claimants.

01:40 So what we are doing now is that we are just maintaining that outpost."

01:44 "First of all, I think it's a very difficult thing to pull off, right?

01:47 And you wouldn't be able to sneak it in, I don't think.

01:49 So it would essentially be in China's face, and China would probably react pretty strongly

01:55 to something like that.

01:56 So I think that it's more constructive to be more imaginative rather than simply doing

02:04 the same thing again."

02:06 There are other proposals, including putting up a lighthouse or any other civilian structure

02:11 on Ayungin.

02:12 Powell says China could still oppose this idea, but it could be offered as a compromise

02:17 to tone down tensions with the Philippines, a strategy that may require a hard, deep look

02:24 by both countries.

02:25 David Santos, CNN Philippines.

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