Resupply trip to Ayungin proceeds unhampered

As Chinese ships watched from a distance, Philippine vessels completed a rotation and resupply (RORE) mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal on Tuesday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.

- Helen Flores

In a statement yesterday, the AFP said pursuing the RORE mission was part of its “resolute commitment to maintaining its presence and operational readiness in the WPS.”

The rusting Sierra Madre, a World War II-era US Navy transport ship, has been serving as an outpost for a handful of Filipino soldiers since being deliberately beached in the late 1990s. “This RORE was executed in close

coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard and was completed with no untoward incident,” the AFP said.

“The completion of this mission reaffirms the AFP’s commitment not only to supporting our defenders in the WPS, but more importantly to upholding the Philippines’ sovereignty and sovereign rights – not only for today’s generation but for those to come,” the AFP declared.