FILE PHOTO: The Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Sindangan is blocked by a China Coast Guard vessel during a resupply mission to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in October. —GERALDFORD TICKE
MANILA, Philippines — The regular rotation and resupply mission (Rore) for the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal was aborted over the weekend, the Armed Forces of the Philippines confirmed on Monday.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said this is due to a “technical difficulty” in one of the resupply boats.
“We’re dependent on the vessels we’re gonna use, at this point we identified that there was a technical difficulty on the vessel that was supposed to be used for such a mission,” Padilla said in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo when asked if the scheduled resupply mission pushed through.
“Until such time that we determine that the vessel to be used is seaworthy, that’s the time we can reschedule,” she added.
Padilla said that Unaizah Mae 1 sustained damage, but she could not further elaborate.
“It was stated as a technical difficulty, but as to the exact details of it, we do not have,” she said.
The Rore mission of the Philippines in the BRP Sierra Madre — a Navy ship grounded in Ayungin Shoal since 1999 — became the flashpoint of tension between Manila and Beijing.
In 2023 alone, the China Coast Guard resorted to usage of military-grade laser once and water cannon at least four times against Philippine vessels in resupply missions in the sand bank.
The CCG also routinely blocked and conducted what the Philippine government deem to be “dangerous maneuvers” against its vessels.