The latest rotation and reprovision (RORE) mission to Ayungin Shoal by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) over the weekend was postponed after one of the vessels involved in the mission was deemed unfit to sail.
Unaizah Mae 1, one of the two supply boats used during the previous resupply missions, encountered a "technical difficulty" which made it not seaworthy, according to AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla.
"We are dependent on the vessels that's gonna be used. At this point, we identified that there was a technical difficulty on the vessel that was supposed to be used for such mission," Padilla told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo on Monday, Jan. 22.
Padilla did not reveal what problem the Unaizah Mae 1 specifically encountered but the indigenous boat has been the subject of repeated harassment by the China Coast Guard (CCG).
During its last resupply mission in December last year, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which supported the undertaking, accused the China Coast Guard of ramming Unaizah Mae 1 and another supply vessel motor launcher (M/L) Kalayaan.
M/L Kalayaan sustained serious engine problem because of the incident.
The CCG usually conducts blocking operations to prevent Philippine supply vessels from accessing the marines manning BRP Sierra Madre, a Philippine Navy warship deliberately ran aground in Ayungin Shoal in 1999 to serve as a Philippine outpost.
Maritime security experts have pointed out that China's deliberate attempt to block the resupply mission was meant to drive the troops to hunger so they would abandon the post.
"Our soldiers are trained for any eventuality," Padilla said, expressing belief that the troops could be "very creative" just to survive harsh conditions in Ayungin Shoal.
She noted that using aircraft to deliver provisions to the soldiers could be done by the military but only under extreme conditions.
"There are certain ways, aircraft is one way of doing this but it is only conducted during emergency situations and if there is a need for immediate deployment," Padilla explained.
For now, the troops have to find ways to gather food including catching fish amid the threat of the presence of Chinese vessels around them.
"Until such time that we determine the vessel to be used is seaworthy, that’s the time that we can reschedule another RORE mission," Padilla said.