FOIL VS CONTROL The presence of BRP Sierra Madre, the naval outpost on Ayungin Shoal that has gone rusty from wear and tear over the years, has served as a foil against China’s attempt at having full control of it, according to Jay Batongbacal. —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
PALAWAN, Philippines — The Western Command (Wescom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is ready to comply with the requirements for the refurbishment of the BRP Sierra Madre, its commander Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos said on Thursday.
As one of the unified commands of the AFP, Wescom is in charge of Palawan and Kalayaan Islands including Ayungin Shoal where the BRP Sierra Madre is located.
Carlos made the commitment in view of opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri’s proposal for the aground ship’s refurbishment.
READ: Senators want BRP Sierra Madre to get refurbished: ‘Reinforce PH presence in Ayungin Shoal’
“All courses of action to prolong our stay there are considered, and one of them is the refurbishment,” Carlos said in a press briefing here in Wescom headquarters in Puerto Princesa City. “Whatever options that we choose, whatever options we select to implement, it will require funding, so we really welcome the offer of the good Senator.”
“So we will submit our requirements … and we are happy that there are already statements of support,” he added, partly in Filipino.
For his part, AFP chief Romeo Brawner Jr. said the armed forces are not just focusing on Ayungin Shoal, particularly in BRP Sierra Madre, but also on other Philippine-occupied islands in the West Philippine Sea.
“We are in fact, looking at the whole picture in the West Philippine Sea,” Brawner said.
“There are many islands there that we are occupying and we also need funds to improve the facilities there,” he added, partly in Filipino.
The BRP Sierra Madre is a commissioned Philippine Navy vessel which has hosted a small contingent of military personnel to assert Manila’s claim to the disputed waters since 1999.
It recently hogged the headlines after a China Coast Guard vessel fired a water cannon at a PCG vessel and a supply ship delivering food, water, fuel and other supplies to military personnel stationed in the ship.
China’s actions are anchored on its assertion that it owns almost all of the areas in the South China Sea, including the WPS through its nine-dash line.
But the Philippines challenged this before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which later invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claim.