Chinese tugboat alone unable to pull BRP Sierra Madre out of Ayungin Shoal

Manila, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) allayed concerns over the presence of a Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy tugboat in waters surrounding Ayungin Shoal, saying that it will take more than a tug to force the BRP Sierra Madre ship to abandon the shoal.

In a briefing on Tuesday, the AFP said the Chinese tugboat was sighted five nautical miles north of BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57), a World War II-era landing ship in which Philippine troops have been garrisoned since 1999 when it was marooned as an outpost.

“While this is not a cause for alarm, it is also not a reason for us not to be prepared for them to tow away BRP Sierra Madre. It will take more than a tugboat to pull out BRP Sierra Madre,” Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Naval inspector general and spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, told a briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.

The Sierra Madre is “firmly anchored on corals,” he added.

“So it is our assessment that that tugboat is for their own use in the event that their ships inside Ayungin Shoal would run aground,” Trinidad said, referring to the shallow portions of Ayungin.

‘RED LINE’

Towing the Sierra Madre by force would mean a takeover of the shoal, strengthening China’s expansive maritime claims over the West Philippine Sea.

And over a year after a violent confrontation left a Filipino navy personnel injured after losing a finger as China’s coast guard interfered with a humanitarian resupply and rotation mission to the grounded BRP Sierra Madre, the AFP now draws a clear “red line” that Beijing forces must not cross.

“The commander-in-chief mentioned that the death of a Filipino will be grounds for invoking the MDT [Mutual Defense Treaty]. This was amplified by the chief of staff of the AFP, this is now a red line,” Trinidad said.

“Any death of a Filipino due to the coercive and aggressive actions of the CCG, the PLA Navy and the Chinese maritime militia is a red line for the Armed Forces of the Philippines… There are contingencies already in place for any eventuality that may arise,” he pointed out.

The remarks came as the military readies another resupply mission to the troops stationed in Sierra Madre.

“Rear Admiral Trinidad has clearly stated the position of the Philippines vis-a-vis China's multidimensional expansionist campaign in the West Philippine Sea,” said Don McLain Gill, geopolitical analyst and lecturer at the DLSU international studies department.

“The ball is in China's court. If China chooses to keep pursuing its aggressive intentions over our lawful waters and against the safety of our citizens and assets at sea, then there would be clear consequences,” Gill told NewsWatch Plus.

The Philippines and its treaty allies have likely already made plans based on possible scenarios in the West Philippine Sea in line with Manila’s Mutual Defense Treaty with Washington, the geopolitical analyst said.

“China is also aware of its strategic limitations in pursuing its narrowly-driven ambitions with a free hand. Given this, the Philippines will continue to prepare through national efforts and through coordination with our ally and partners,” Gill said.