On Sunday, October 22, a collision occurred between a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel and a Philippine supply boat during a routine rotation and resupply (RORE) mission to the detachment stationed at BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.
According to a report from the Philippine News Agency (PNA), the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said “dangerous blocking maneuvers” by the CCG caused the collision.
“At around 0604H (6:04 a.m.) this morning, while conducting a regular and routine Rotation and Resupply (RORE) mission to BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57), dangerous blocking maneuvers of China Coast Guard vessel 5203 (CCGV-5203) caused it to collide with the Armed Forces of the Philippines-contracted indigenous resupply boat Unaiza May 2 (UM2) approximately 13.5 nautical miles east northeast of LS-57,” NTF-WPS said in a statement which was released shortly after the incident.
However, the NTF-WPS did not specify what damage Unaiza May 2 sustained in the collision or whether it completed its mission.
It further explained that during the same RORE mission, a Philippine Coast Guard vessel, MRRV-4409, was bumped on its port side by the Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM) vessel 00003 (CMMV-00003). This incident took place approximately 6.4 nautical miles northeast of Ayungin Shoal.
At the time of the statement, the RORE mission was ongoing, with Unaiza May 1 (UM1) already having reached BRP Sierra Madre troops.
“The NTF-WPS condemns in the strongest degree the latest dangerous, irresponsible, and illegal actions of the CCG and the CMM done this morning, in violation of Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction and in utter blatant disregard of the United Nations Charter, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) and relevant international maritime conventions, and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” it said.
According to the task force, “relevant authorities” have already been briefed about the incident.
