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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Tense situation in Ayungin Shoal diffused – Brawner

Tense situation in Ayungin Shoal diffused – Brawner

Published Aug 24, 2025 03:49 pm
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. (right) witnesses the Combined Joint Forcible Entry Operations (CJFEO) between AFP and Australian Defense Force (ADF) during Exercise ALON (Amphibious and Land Operations) with Department of National Defense (DND) Sec. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (middle) and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles (second from left) in San Vicente, Palawan on Aug. 24, 2025. (Photo: DND)
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. (right) witnesses the Combined Joint Forcible Entry Operations (CJFEO) between AFP and Australian Defense Force (ADF) during Exercise ALON (Amphibious and Land Operations) with Department of National Defense (DND) Sec. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (middle) and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles (second from left) in San Vicente, Palawan on Aug. 24, 2025. (Photo: DND)
Sailors and marines onboard BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) drove away intruding Chinese vessels, effectively diffusing the tense situation in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. confirmed this on Sunday, Aug. 24, as he witnessed a military exercise between the AFP and Australian Defence Force (ADF) in Palawan under Exercise ALON with Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles.
“The situation is improving,” Brawner said when asked for an update on the deployment of China Coast Guard (CCG) ships armed with water cannon and fast boats with mounted weapons near BRP Sierra Madre.
“We’ve been successful in pushing back Chinese intrusions into the shoal itself. We are successful in driving the Chinese away from Ayungin,” he added.
During a maritime domain awareness (MDA) monitoring on Aug. 20, the AFP spotted five CCG ships which were supported by 11 rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) and fast boats, as well as nine Chinese maritime militia vessels, a Chinese aircraft, and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal.
Brawner said he directed the Palawan-based Western Command (Wescom) to cut the fishing nets installed by the maritime militia vessels along the southeast approach of Ayungin Shoal. This is to allow the AFP to perform a resupply mission in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Teodoro and Marles said they were impressed by the performance of the Filipino and Australian troops during the exercise.
They observed the troops during a Combined Joint Forcible Entry Operations (CJFEO) conducted along Long Beach in Barangay New Agutaya, San Vicente, Palawan.
The exercise involved the integration of Philippine and Australian amphibious forces supported by naval, air, and ground elements. It showcased the two nations’ ability to conduct coordinated naval gunfire support, amphibious assault, and maritime strike missions, underscoring their capacity to project joint force and secure littoral terrain in strategically vital areas.
“The exercise was very, very impressive,” Teodoro said. “This is a new venue and you saw that the coordination between both the Australian and the Philippine forces was smooth. So, we hope to be able to logisticize and to think of new scenarios as it evolves.”
“A tremendous amount of logistics and planning have gone into what we witnessed here. I think credit also goes to not only those who actually participated in the assault, but those who went into the months of planning, months of preparation,” Teodoro noted.
“Things like this are done with advanced planning, with the realization that in a moment's notice, let's say for a typhoon or for whatnot, we may have to operate together,” he added.
Marles hailed the synergy between the participating forces as he highlighted the importance of such engagements for the interoperability between the Philippines and Australia, along with other like-minded partners.
“This exercise is about Australia and the Philippines, and there's a Canadian and a US component to it. It's about our relationship with those countries as well,” said Deputy Prime Minister Marles. “But this is about building the interoperability between two countries which share values and have one intent, and that is to uphold the rules-based order in this region.”
The two defense leaders also observed the airfield seizure execution, which further highlighted the interoperability and combined capabilities of Philippine and Australian forces in complex operational environments.

Related Tags

AFP Ayungin Shoal DND West Philippine Sea Exercise ALON
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