00:00 Come hell or high water, the resupply missions of the Philippine Coast Guard are on schedule
00:04 for delivery to its recipients, even with continued harassment and intimidation by the
00:09 Chinese Coast Guard and militia boats of the PLA getting in the way.
00:14 Our Patrick de Jesus narrates the latest acts of bullying over the weekend on the high seas
00:18 of the West Philippine Sea perpetrated by China against the Philippine Coast Guard resupply
00:23 mission vessels in this story.
00:26 In the recent resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal, the Philippine Coast Guard tried to
00:34 get near the BRP Sierra Madre using its rigid-hull inflatable boats.
00:39 This, after the PCG ships were able to reach less than a nautical mile from Ayungin Shoal.
00:46 PTV News is among the media outlets allowed to be on board an inflatable boat unloaded
00:52 from the three ships that escorted the AFP-chartered resupply boats.
00:57 But the China Coast Guard also deployed its aluminum boats, then shadowed and chased us.
01:04 Despite this, the PCG's inflatable boats succeed in getting closer to BRP Sierra Madre with
01:10 only a distance of 700 meters.
01:13 The World War II-era warship, which was run aground in Ayungin Shoal since 1999 to serve
01:20 as a Philippine Navy outpost, can be seen clearly, weathered and dilapidated, but still
01:26 standing strong, manned by Filipino troops to assert our rights.
01:31 The government assured that the LS-57 will be protected at all costs.
01:36 "Because the BRP Sierra Madre that we see is an old ship.
01:42 Because of the elements, the weather, it can be eroded or destroyed.
01:50 For us, this is very important.
01:52 As long as it is there, we will protect it.
01:55 And we will not allow our soldiers there to have, what we call, a good living condition.
02:04 We can see that this is inside our Exclusive Economic Zone, very close to Palawan.
02:13 That is the order of our President.
02:15 We will protect it.
02:16 And our people who live there, we will make sure that their living conditions are also
02:20 good."
02:22 The Philippine vessels once again experienced harassment from Chinese ships.
02:27 The China Coast Guard vessel fired water cannon at ML Kaleyaan, one of the resupply
02:33 boats.
02:34 It is also the most number of Chinese ships monitored where militia vessels reached 38,
02:40 aside from the five China Coast Guard vessels and four from People's Liberation Army Navy.
02:46 But authorities said this is not enough to prevent the country in doing legal activities
02:52 inside our territory.
02:53 "The more that they do that, the more that their credibility is tainted or the more that
03:01 they are discredited in the eyes of the international community.
03:05 Nobody has the right to know what we are doing."
03:10 The AFP said whatever missions will be conducted, it is in compliance with our rights and sovereignty.
