The National Security Council (NSC) said Tuesday, Nov. 21, that it will not support any civilian mission in Ayungin (Second) Shoal in time for the Christmas season.
This, after the Atin Ito coalition, a group of advocates fighting for the country's rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), announced an all-civilian Christmas convoy to the atoll, which is the center of recent tension between the Philippines and China due to a territorial dispute, on Dec. 5.
"The National Security Council does not support the planned Christmas Convoy to BRP Sierra Madre (LS 57) in Ayungin Shoal or any similar undertaking to the said shoal. While we support, in principle, the intent of the Atin Ito coalition to bring holiday cheer to our WPS frontliners, undertaking such a convoy to Ayungin Shoal at this time of heightened tensions between the Philippines and China is ill-advised," NSC and National Task Force for WPS spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said.
Instead of going to Ayungin Shoal, the NSC advised the group to undertake the Christmas convoy to other Philippine-occupied features in the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands) where Philippine troops and civilians can be found.
The NSC said that the group can instead visit other features such as Lawak Island, Kota Island, Likas Island, Pag-asa Island, Parola Island, Panata Island, Patag Island, and Rizal Reef which are also being claimed by the Philippines in the Spratlys.
"There are also frontliners in those features and they also deserve Christmas goodies and donations from the public," Malaya shared.
By visiting other Philippine-occupied features, Malaya said the group would be able to "visit a vaster area of the West Philippine Sea" and thereby "fully realize their stated goal of improving the living circumstances and operational capabilities of fisherfolk and other civilian communities in the area, as well as the WPS frontliners."
Malaya also suggested that the group can turn-over their Christmas donations to the Philippine Navy or the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) which will be brought to BRP Sierra Madre during the next routine rotation and resupply (RoRe) mission.
"Our troops in Ayungin Shoal are well supplied by the Philippine Navy-AFP supported by the Philippine Coast Guard through the regular RORE missions. There is, therefore, no need for a civilian Christmas convoy mission at this time," Malaya stressed.
On Monday, Nov. 20, the Atin Ito coalition said it would push through with the planned Christmas convoy to Ayungin shoal to bring holiday cheers to troops manning BRP Sierra Madre, the lone military outpost by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Ayungin Shoal.
The planned civilian mission was announced by the coalition in October and it aims to "bring necessary supplies, such as food, water, medical resources, and other essentials, in order to improve the living circumstances and operational capabilities of fisherfolk and other civilian communities in the area, as well as other WPS frontliners."