AFP rejects China’s ‘deceptive’ narratives on Ayungin Shoal, BRP Sierra Madre
MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) pushed back against the Chinese Embassy in Manila accusing Beijing of attempting to "rewrite history" regarding the presence of the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal.
In a statement on Saturday, August 22, AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), retired Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, firmly rejected China’s claims about supposed past agreements to remove the grounded naval vessel. He also called out the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) "track record of deceptive narratives" regarding Philippine waters.
"The Chinese Communist Party speaks of 'promises' and 'demands,' yet it very easily forgets its own track record of deceptive narratives in our waters," Trinidad said.
Trinidad recalled Beijing's 1995 occupation of Panganiban Reef (Mischief Reef), a feature located well within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
He pointed out that China’s foreign ministry initially assured Manila and the international community that the small wooden structures built there were merely temporary "shelters for local fishermen" with no military intent.
"Today, those 'shelters' have been transformed into a fortified, 550-hectare military airbase complete with a 3,000-meter runway, missile emplacements, radar domes, and naval berths," Trinidad said.
"Mischief Reef stands as a permanent, concrete monument to their deceptive strategy in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.
In contrast to China's illegal land reclamation activities, Trinidad maintained that the BRP Sierra Madre's stationing at Ayungin Shoal represents a lawful and permanent sovereign deployment on a feature over which the Philippines exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction.
He cited the landmark 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling, which explicitly declared Ayungin Shoal a low-tide elevation within the Philippine EEZ and invalidated China's expansive maritime claims as having no legal basis.
"No binding commitment was made to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal," Trinidad said.
Chinese Embassy vs Tarriela
On Sunday, August 24, the Chinese Embassy in Manila responded to a post by Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela.
According to the Chinese Embassy, the Philippines deliberately ran the World War II-era BRP Sierra Madre aground at Ayungin Shoal in May 1999 under the pretext of conducting emergency repairs due to leaks.
The embassy said Beijing immediately protested and demanded the vessel's removal, alleging that Philippine officials had repeatedly promised to tow the ship away.
Since the 2016 ruling, China has continued to insist on the legality of its nine-dash line, despite the Arbitral Tribunal's ruling that the claim has no legal basis under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
This has led to repeated confrontations between Chinese coast guard vessels and maritime militia and the Philippine Coast Guard and Filipino fishermen.
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