The National Maritime Council (NMC) has recommended to President Marcos to publicize the rotation and resupply (RORE) missions to the Ayungin Shoal as it raised the possibility that the recent incident in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) may have been due to China possibly not being informed of the mission.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said this after the NMC convened on Friday, June 21, following the clash with the Chinese Coast Guard in the disputed waters that led to a Filipino soldier losing his thumb.

In a press briefing in Malacañan, Bersamin said the council agreed on policy recommendations for the President's consideration. Among these recommendations is the announcement of RORE missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, which shall remain routinary and will be scheduled regularly.

"We just don't know that if the reason for this is there was no prior knowledge in the part of China that we were resupplying," he said.

"Managing our maritime concerns requires effective cooperation among various government agencies. I hope that the National Maritime Council reflects this reality," he added.

According to Bersamin, the Philippine government will continue trying to reach out to China to ease the tension in the West Philippine Sea.

"We have yet to receive feedback from the relevant officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). But reaching out is always a means to look at the situation, to resolve any pending issues or concerns," he said.

"Let us continue to anchor our policies and strategies on promoting the national interests of our maritime and archipelagic country," he added.

Meanwhile, Presidential Assistant on Maritime Concerns Gen. Andres Centino said the incident did not merit invoking the Philippines' mutual defense treaty (MDT) with the United States of America.

"That has not been considered in our discussions," he said.