DEFENSE Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana announced he had been assured by China’s ambassador in Manila that Chinese military and paramilitary ships will not interfere in the resupply mission of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at the Ayungin Shoal.
Lorenzana issued the statement last Sunday following last week’s incident wherein the crew of two Chinese Coast Guard vessels attacked with water cannons two civilians boats tasked to bring supplies to the Filipino soldiers.
“The Chinese will not interfere, per my conversation with the Chinese ambassador,” he said adding he had been talking daily with the ambassador from Tuesday to Saturday.
“We will see if they are true to their words as our Navy will proceed with the resupply this week,” Lorenzana said.
The defense chief said the mission will be undertaken with ships escorted by Philippine Navy or Philippine Coast Guard vessels.
He said he issued the order to Vice Admiral Ramil Roberto B. Enriquez, commander of the AFP Western Command and head of the Area Task West of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea.
Lorenzana didn’t say what vessels the Philippines will use for the resupply mission, which will take place any time this week.
On Tuesday last week, the crew of Chinese Coast Guard ships attacked two civilian ships chartered by the Navy to bring supplies to its troops guarding Ayungin and who were stationed in the partly sunken ship BRP Sierra Madre.
The 2-hour attack, which drew condemnations from the United States, Japan, Australia, Germany and France, broke the outrigger of one of the two boats, prompting them to abort their mission and head back to Palawan.
The US warned China that public vessels are covered in the South China Sea by the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty as it declared that China’s demeanor undermined international maritime’s rules-based order.
“The United States stands with our ally, the Philippines, in the face of this escalation that directly threatens regional peace and stability, escalates regional tensions, infringes upon freedom of navigation in the South China Sea as guaranteed under international law and undermines the rules-based international order,” the US State Department also said.