THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will implement changes in the conduct of rotation and resupply missions (RoRe) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) following China's recent display of aggression, which resulted in injuries to three navy personnel and damage to a Philippine vessel, AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. said.
In a statement on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, the AFP said Brawner visited the Western Command in Palawan on Tuesday, March 26, and checked the status of wounded personnel.
The AFP chief also handed over awards to those who contributed to previous rotation and reprovisioning missions.
Brawner, however, did not specify what changes would be made.
RoRe missions are intended to bring necessary supplies to troops deployed at the BRP Sierra Madre, which was deliberately grounded by the Philippine Government in Ayungin Shoal to signify its sovereign rights in the area.
He urged soldiers of the Western Command to “keep up their good work” and continue with determination in their mission amid challenges to Philippine sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
“What you are doing here has strategic implications. The whole world is watching us so let us continue with our determination and resolve to accomplish our mission and the conduct of our RoRe operations,” said Brawner.
On Saturday, March 23, Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia acted recklessly and dangerously against Philippine Coast Guard vessels and Unaizah May 4 (UM4) using water cannons, which caused severe damage to the vessel and injuries to three Navy personnel onboard.
The injured soldiers sustained wounds that required stitches, one of them had 13 stitches under his left eye while another had seven stitches on his head after hitting a wall due to the pressure from water cannoning staged by China.
A video of one of the soldiers aboard the damaged boat showed the intensity of the water cannoning, which prompted them to find a place to hide until it stopped.
Brawner said the attack was the most harmful among all the harassment of China against Philippine vessels during the RoRe mission.
China has received condemnation from other nations due to the incident.
It, however, maintained that the Philippine vessels were illegally entering territory.
China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian even warned the Philippines of “potential consequences” amid its continued “infringement” in the South China Sea.
China refused to recognize the arbitral ruling, which invalidates its claims in almost the entire WPS, validating the Philippines’ rights over the territorial waters. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)