The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday, Aug. 26, that it is closely monitoring the presence of a Chinese tugboat near the grounded BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) in Ayungin Shoal, West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Tugboats are primarily used for towing larger vessels. The Chinese tugboat mobilized by China's People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) was initially spotted on Monday, according to AFP spokesperson for WPS Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad.

“The monitoring by the Philippine Navy and the AFP for the past days has noted the presence of a tugboat only yesterday,” he said.

Trinidad said the military is prepared to prevent Chinese maritime forces from towing the BRP Sierra Madre, which has been grounded in the shoal since 1999 and has served as a military outpost of the AFP in the disputed low-tide elevation.

“While this is not a cause for alarm, it is also not a reason for us not to be prepared for them to tow away BRP Sierra Madre,” he added. The admiral, however, stressed that it “will take more than a tugboat” to pull out BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin since it was firmly anchored on corals.

Trinidad believes China’s deployment was intended more for defensive purposes.

“Our assessment is that this is more for their own use in the event that they would need a tugboat to pull out any of their ships that would run aground in the shallow portion of Ayungin Shoal,” he said.

China has increased its presence in Ayungin Shoal since Aug. 20, deploying coast guard ships, fast boats armed with mounted weapons, aircraft, and drones while performing maritime exercises before Filipino soldiers and marines onboard BRP Sierra Madre. Aside from the tugboat, the AFP said there were 13 Chinese militia boats and two CCG vessels in Ayungin Shoal, located approximately two to 2.5 nautical miles away from BRP Sierra Madre, as of Monday.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and AFP Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. both think that the heightened presence was a result of the collision of two Chinese vessels in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) on Aug. 11.

Brawner said the troops stationed aboard BRP Sierra Madre were able to drive away the Chinese forces from the Philippine Navy vessel.

Resupply mission

Meanwhile, Trinidad said the AFP will continue to conduct resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal despite the presence of the Chinese vessels.

“The rotation and reprovisioning of our forces is a moral obligation of the leadership of the Armed Forces. Regardless of any threat, any coercive or aggressive action, it will be conducted. We owe it to the men and women on the frontlines to provide them with the appropriate support that they need, especially food and other important supplies,” he said.

He said contingencies are in place for any eventuality that may arise due to the actions of the PLA-N, China Coast Guard, or the Chinese maritime militia.

“The stand of the AFP has always been within the guidance of the commander-in-chief. We are not here to provoke. We are not here to claim what is not ours. We are here merely to secure and to defend what is rightfully and legally ours,” Trinidad said.