The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) dismissed Beijing’s recent assertions about the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal, stating that Manila never entered into any agreement to tow away the grounded naval ship.
AFP spokesperson retired Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad accused China of trying to distort facts while ignoring its own history of misrepresentation in the West Philippine Sea.
“The AFP rejects the recent statement from the Chinese Embassy in Manila attempting to rewrite history regarding the presence of the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal,” Trinidad said.
Trinidad referenced Beijing’s 1995 occupation of Panganiban Reef (Mischief Reef), where structures initially claimed to be temporary fisherman shelters were ultimately expanded into a full-scale military base complete with radar stations, naval assets, and an airstrip.
“Mischief Reef stands as a permanent, concrete monument to their deceptive strategy in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.
The military official asserted that maintaining the BRP Sierra Madre—which was intentionally grounded on the shoal in 1999 to act as a military post—is a legitimate exercise of national sovereignty, directly refuting Beijing’s repeated claims of a Philippine promise to pull out the ship.
“No binding commitment was made to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal,” Trinidad said.
He noted that the 2016 international arbitral ruling determined Ayungin Shoal sits within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone as a low-tide feature, while invalidating China’s expansive nine-dash line claims under UNCLOS.
“The AFP remains firm in executing its mandate to protect Philippine national sovereignty, uphold international law, and maintain our presence on Ayungin Shoal,” Trinidad said. “We will never abandon BRP Sierra Madre.”