The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported Wednesday it has peacefully carried out a new rotation and resupply (RORE) mission to its BRP Sierra Madre station in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Tuesday, March 4.
“This RORE was executed in close coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard and was completed with no untoward incident,” said AFP Public Affairs Office Chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad in a statement.
According to Trinidad, the latest mission marks the 6th time without any untoward incident—far from what happened on June 17 last year when a Philippine Navy officer lost his thumb during a clash with members of the Chinese Coast Guard.
The AFP conducts a RORE mission to BRP Sierra Madre—which has been grounded in the area since the 1990s—every three months.
Specific dates of successful RORE were held four times in 2024 (July 27, September 27, November 15, and December 12) and twice so far this year (January 24 and March 4), according to the AFP.
While on their way to BRP Sierra Madre, Trinidad said the Navy tracked and monitored several Chinese vessels in the general area. “Despite the presence of these foreign vessels, the entire operation was completed without confrontation or untoward incident,” he added.
“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,” Trinidad said.
Editor’s Note: Details have been corrected in the third and fifth paragraphs based on the revised information released by the AFP.