Chinese Vessels Hindered PH Resupply Mission to Ayungin Shoal: NTF-WPS

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) on Friday said Chinese vessels interfered with the Philippine rotation and resupply (RoRe) mission to Ayungin Shoal on Thursday. In a statement, the task force said China Coast Guard (CCG) and People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) hindered the delivery of essential supplies to Filipino crew aboard BRP Sierra Madre. “In doing so, they put Filipino personnel at risk and obstructed a legitimate humanitarian and sustainment operation,” the NTF-WPS said. “The NTF-WPS calls on the China Coast Guard and the PLA Navy to immediately cease interfering with lawful Philippine RoRe missions,” it added. According to the task force, the PLA Navy’s and CCG’s actions are inconsistent with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award. These laws and ruling affirmed the Philippines' sovereign rights and jurisdiction in its exclusive economic zone, including Ayungin Shoal, the task force added. “The Philippines will continue to conduct lawful operations in the West Philippine Sea and exercise its sovereign rights and jurisdiction in accordance with international law,” the NTF-WPS said. GMA News Online has sought comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila but the office has yet to provide a statement as of posting time. Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim. The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago, including the Luzon Sea and the waters around, within, and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis." China has refused to recognize the decision. —VAL, GMA News