Philippine Navy spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad (PNA photo by Priam Nepomuceno)
MANILA – The shallow water condition in the Ayungin Shoal is the main reason for the Philippines' use of "indigenous boats" in its rotation and reprovisioning (RORE) missions for troops manning the BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a ranking naval official said Tuesday.
"It's only Unaizah Mae (1), a contracted civilian ship that has access to the shoal because of the shallowness of its draft," Philippine Navy (PN) spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
He also clarified that the Philippine government uses a combination of Navy, Coast Guard and local government unit-operated ships for RORE missions in eight other Philippine-held features in the WPS.
Trinidad said the decision to use PN ships to escort RORE missions is up to the discretion of the Western Command and "subject to the guidance of higher headquarters."
"The composition of any RORE mission, first and foremost is it is a naval operation conducted by Naval Forces West, the naval component of the Western Command. The composition of what type of ship, what capability used is up to the discretion of the Western Command subject to guidance of higher headquarters," he said when asked on the feasibility of using PN ships as escorts.
Trinidad said the PN is doing all it can to secure the WPS using its assets.
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said 54 Chinese vessels were spotted in various features in the WPS as of Monday afternoon.
"In Bajo de Masinloc, five China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, 18 China Maritime Militia vessels and 10 China small boats; in Ayungin Shoal, one CCG vessel, six China fishing vessels; in Pagasa Island, one CCG vessel and six China fishing vessels; in Panata island, seven China fishing vessels. There are no significant sightings on the WPS' other features," she added. (PNA)
