NSC: Aerial resupply mission in West Philippine Sea eyed

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is exploring aerial supply missions to Filipino troops at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, a top security official said on Tuesday. 

National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said there will be adjustments to the government's resupply efforts to troops stationed at BRP Sierra Madre, the grounded warship that serves as the country's outpost in the West Philippine Sea. 

According to Malaya, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered for "certain adjustments."

"There is an operational mix that is available to us. We can do other types of resupply other than a naval resupply. We can do an airdrop, we can do other just to be able to resupply our troops and keep BRP Sierra Madre in working condition," Malaya said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel. 

"Those adjustments, of course, are there so that we are no longer placed in a difficult position when we do our resupply missions," he added. 

Last week, the Philippines said the China Coast Guard (CCG) water cannoned and rammed vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) headed to Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, to assist Filipino fishers in the area.

Marcos on Monday rejected a proposal to equip Philippine vessels patrolling the West Philippine Sea with water cannons to assert the country's sovereignty in the waterway. The president stressed that the "last thing we would like is to raise tensions."

On Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that no cabinet-level official had approved a Chinese proposal concerning the Ayungin Shoal after Beijing claimed that Manila had agreed on a "new model" for handling their territorial dispute. 

It also stressed that only the president can authorize agreements entered into by the Philippine government on matters pertaining to the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea. 

"BRP Sierra Madre is not going anywhere. If the Chinese think that it's going to fade into the sea anytime soon, no it's not," Malaya said. 

China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, rejecting competing claims from the Philippines and other countries, despite an international court ruling that found its assertions baseless.