‘No untoward incident’ in March 2025 resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal – AFP 

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'The completion of this mission, reaffirms the AFP’s commitment... to upholding the Philippines’ sovereignty and sovereign rights,' says the military

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine military said on Wednesday, March 5, that “no untoward incidents” took place as it conducted a routine rotation or resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), in resolute commitment to maintaining its presence and operational readiness in the West Philippine Sea, completed a routine troop rotation and resupply (RORE) mission at BRP Sierra Madre (LS 57) stationed at Ayungin Shoal on 04 March 2025,” said the AFP.

The BRP Sierra Madre is a World War II-era warship that was run aground on purpose in the shoal back in 1999. Now rusted, it serves as a detachment where Filipino soldiers keep watch over that part of the West Philippine Sea for months at a time.

RORE missions take place every few months to bring a fresh batch of troops, as well as supplies to the Sierra Madre.

The AFP said the mission took place “in close coordination” with the Philippine Coast Guard.

“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,” said the AFP.

Routine missions to Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal, were not always as incident-free as they have been in recent months.

The shoal is a flashpoint for tensions between the Philippines and China, which claims a huge portion of the South China Sea, including areas that are part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Those tensions nearly boiled over in June 2024, when China Coast Guard (CCG) personnel brandished bladed weapons, towed, and destroyed the boats of elite Filipino soldiers carrying out the resupply mission. One Filipino soldier lost his thumb when the CCG rammed their boats against the Philippine Navy’s vessels.

Before that incident, the CCG routine used water cannons, dangerous manuevers, and ramming in a bid to stop Philippine missions to Ayungin Shoal.

In July 2024, Manila and Beijing agreed on a “provisional arrangement” that was meant to bring down tensions in the shoal. Since the arrangement, the details of which have not been made public, RORE missions to Ayungin have turned “incident free.”

The March 2025 mission is the sixth to take place since the temporary agreement was made. – Rappler.com