The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is determined to continue the rotation and reprovision (RoRe) mission in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea despite the dangers it pose to the Filipino sailors and marines due to the aggressive actions of Chinese vessels.

This was stressed by AFP Chief of Staff, General Romeo Brawner Jr. as he visited the RoRe team at the Western Command (WesCom) headquarters in Camp General Artemio Ricarte in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan on Tuesday, March 27.

During his talk to the RoRe team, the military chief urged them to "continue with determination" in their mission amid challenges to Philippine sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.

"What you are doing here has strategic implications. The whole world is watching us so let us continue with our determination and resolve to accomplish our mission and the conduct of our RoRe operations," Brawner said.

Brawner bestowed the Military Merit Medal (Ad Interim) upon the members of the RoRe Team during the March 23 resupply mission to symbolize the "utmost appreciation of the AFP for their selfless service to the country."

He also visited three AFP personnel who got injured when China Coast Guard vessels fired water cannon towards Unaizah May 4, the civilian boat that they were boarding, at the camp's hospital to award them with the "Wounded Personnel Medal" and assure them of the military's "unwavering commitment to their well-being."

He was accompanied by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, and welcomed by the WesCom leadership led by its commander, Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos.

"We deemed it best to come here to visit our troops, give the corresponding awards to our troops who bravely go out every now and then to conduct the RoRe mission, and also to look into the condition of our personnel who are injured," Brawner told the media during a press conference.

He emphasized their vital role in safeguarding the country's sovereign rights, particularly at Ayungin Shoal, where the BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) acts as a testament to the Philippines' unwavering presence in the West Philippine Sea.

To prevent a repeat of the dangerous March 23 resupply mission where troops got injured, Brawner said that certain adjustments will be made by the AFP.

He did not go into details what the adjustments will be but he noted that coordination was already made with the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for this endeavor.

To date, the resupply mission is being carried out by the AFP by chartering civilian boats that bring the food and other provisions of the troops manning the BRP Sierra Madre outpost in Ayungin Shoal.

The boats are being escorted by PCG ships to ensure that they would reach the shoal despite the harassment of Chinese vessels.

There were suggestions that the AFP should use larger Philippine Navy vessels so that the Chinese ships would no longer be able to "bully" them during the resupply mission. This, however, is deemed impractical as only small boats can reach the Ayungin Shoal due to its shallow waters.

Recent missions saw the use of water cannons by Chinese vessels to prevent the resupply runs, rendering damage and injuries to the civilian boats and the Filipino troops.

China justified the use of water cannons against the Philippine boats as it accused the latter of "illegally entering" their territory.

Ayungin Shoal is located some 106 nautical miles from Palawan within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The closest point to China, on the other hand, is around 600 nautical miles, but Beijing still claims the atoll as part of its territory.

Their claim is based on the so-called 10-dash line (formerly nine-dash line), a set of line segments which supposedly specify the areas that the Asian superpower claims in the South China Sea.

This claim, however, was invalidated by the 2016 Arbitral Ruling, which ruled in favor of the Philippines' claims in what is now called the West Philippine Sea. China did not honor the ruling and continues to make its presence felt in the said waters.