Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 14) — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confirmed on Thursday the presence of Chinese vessels at Ayungin Shoal after launching aggressive actions against Philippine vessels last weekend.
AFP Western Command (Wescom) Commander Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos said they have monitored at least five Chinese militia ships inside Ayungin, while four others were outside the shoal, where BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57) is grounded.
\”We usually deploy troops from LS-57 aboard rubber boats to ‘nonconfrontationally drive them away,’\” the Wescom chief said.
Over the weekend, a commissioned Philippine vessel on a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal sustained \”serious engine damage\” after it was blasted with water cannon by the China Coast Guard.
Carlos earlier said the AFP is anticipating stronger actions from China, including ramming or even boarding Philippine vessels in West Philippine Sea.
READ: China might ram or board PH vessels next in WPS – Wescom chief
A security analyst first reported the sighting of Chinese vessels at the shoal following Beijing’s recent aggression against Manila.
According to Ray Powell, project lead at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, the cluster of Chinese ships was seen last Monday.
“An extraordinary 11 Chinese vessels were visible inside the shoal while dozens more clustered around its exterior,” Powell, who is also a former US senior defense official, said in his monitoring published on SeaLight website.
This highly unusual invasion of the shoal’s interior appears to have been a calculated show of force by Beijing,” he added.Powell explained that most of Beijing’s blockading force would normally return to a nearby base once Philippine resupply boats and their escorts leave.This weekend, however, the vessel swarm remained for an additional 24 hours (until Monday afternoon) and 11 pushed inside before returning to Mischief,” he said.It’s quite rare to see PRC vessels enter the shoal’s interior at all, but 11 is certainly the highest number we’ve yet observed at SeaLight. In fact, it may be unprecedented,” Powell said.
According to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), China deployed the largest number of ships to obstruct Manila’s latest resupply mission with 46 ships blocking local vessels.
READ: PCG: China deployed largest number of ships to block recent resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal
The Philippine government and other countries, such as the United States and United Kingdom, lambasted Beijing for blasting water cannon against Filipino vessels.
