(UPDATE) ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. on Friday told troops stationed at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal to stop the Chinese from boarding the BRP Sierra Madre at all costs.
Brawner issued the statement after an increase in the presence of Chinese ships was monitored in the shoal on Wednesday, not only in numbers but also in their capability for warfare.
On Thursday, the AFP reported sightings of five China Coast Guard vessels, 11 rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) and nine maritime militia vessels doing maneuvers and water cannoning drills.
The boats also carried weapons systems, although there has been no show of force, intimidation or coercive action, the AFP said.
COAST GUARD DRONE Philippine Coast Guard personnel assemble an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the Coast Guard Substation in La Union on Aug. 19, 2025, as
part of efforts to enhance maritime surveillance, law enforcement and territorial defense. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD
Brawner said the Chinese making a move on the BRP Sierra Madre, a warship deliberately grounded on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to serve as a Filipino outpost, was a possibility the AFP would not allow.
“If they do that, we will prevent them from doing so. By boarding our ship, it’s like coming into our territory,” Brawner said.
He said this meant that Filipino soldiers may now use “appropriate force” under the ambit of the rules of engagement.
While Brawner agreed that tensions are rising, increasing military deployment in the area is still not being considered.
But even so, troops stationed in the area will fight with all they have, he said.
He added that the AFP was prepared for any eventuality and was armed with contingency measures should tensions escalate into fighting.
He said the institution would never abandon its duty to the country and to the men even in the midst of intimidation and aggression.
“We have the right to protect our soldiers in BRP Sierra Madre, we have the right to bring them supplies, and we make sure that we take care of their welfare,” Brawner said.
Despite China’s coercive acts in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Philippines was “never intimidated,” said Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesman for the West Philippine Sea.
Trinidad said this was because the entire military was convinced of the legitimacy of the country’s stand and that the Philippines was backed by international law.
“Every member of the AFP is convinced of the legitimacy of our cause, of our stand in the West Philippine Sea,” Trinidad said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to continue its rotation and resupply (RORE) missions to the BRP Sierra Madre stationed at Ayungin, despite reports of increased Chinese vessel activity in the area.
In a statement issued on the evening of Aug. 22, the DFA said the missions remain routine humanitarian operations and are carried out in accordance with the country’s sovereignty and jurisdiction.
The DFA emphasized that these missions continue to be implemented under a provisional understanding between the Philippines and China, which, it said, has facilitated the conduct of such operations “without any untoward incidents.”
“The Philippines will continue to implement the provisional understanding as agreed,” it added.
While the agency confirmed it is monitoring a notable spike in the number of Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels near the shoal, it reiterated that the Philippines would remain vigilant in protecting its sovereignty and the welfare of troops stationed on board the grounded vessel.
Flashpoint
The area surrounding Ayungin Shoal has long been a flashpoint in Manila-Beijing relations, with repeated Chinese attempts to block or harass Philippine resupply missions using coast guard ships and maritime militia.
These encounters have drawn international criticism and raised concerns over regional stability.
While the DFA’s reference to a “provisional understanding” appears aimed at managing tensions, the nature and terms of that agreement remain unwritten and informal and are interpreted differently by both sides.
The Philippine government has maintained that such resupply missions are non-negotiable, asserting that its actions are fully compliant with international law and rooted in its sovereign rights.
Chinese ship goes dark
On Saturday morning, a Chinese research vessel approached close to the Philippine coastline before switching off its tracking system, a maritime security analyst reported.
Retired US Air Force Col. Ray Powell, director of the SeaLight project at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center, said that the Dong Fang Hong 3, a 103-meter oceanographic ship, came within 65 nautical miles of the Philippines before going “dark” at 7:12 a.m. local time.
The vessel is equipped with advanced oceanographic sensors, multi-beam sonar, and remotely operated vehicles, giving it the capability to conduct seabed mapping, acoustic monitoring, and surveys of underwater infrastructure, Powell noted.
He warned that such activities form part of Beijing’s “gray zone tactics playbook,” in which China mixes legitimate scientific research with the assertion of its maritime claims and the gathering of potential military intelligence.
Powell’s post, citing tracking data from maritime analytics firm Starboard, comes amid continuing tensions in the West Philippine Sea, where Manila has repeatedly protested Chinese incursions.
Drones
Also on Saturday, the Philippine Coast Guard said it is banking on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to strengthen its surveillance and maritime law enforcement, saying drones provide crucial support in detecting illegal activities and responding to maritime incidents.
Capt. Noemie Cayabyab, PCG spokesman, said the agency currently has 31 UAV units and intends to expand their deployment to all operational commands nationwide, particularly in remote areas beyond the immediate reach of patrol vessels.
“These drones allow us to detect and document incidents in real time. With the live video feed, we can immediately deploy patrol boats and also use the footage as evidence for filing cases against violators,” Cayabyab said in an interview.
The UAVs can fly up to 1,000 feet in altitude, cover a range of 10 kilometers, and operate for one hour per flight.
They are equipped with GPS navigation, live video transmission, automatic flight path programming, and object-tracking capabilities.
Before deployment, PCG personnel conduct pre-flight checks that include battery inspection, signal testing, propeller integrity, and software verification.
Sensor alignment is also done to adjust cameras and infrared sensors, while navigation calibration ensures GPS accuracy and flight stability.
Cayabyab said the drones were particularly useful in addressing illegal fishing, monitoring oil spills, and documenting skirmishes or other maritime threats.
“Without proper calibration, reports may be inaccurate, which can lead to poor decisions and technical issues during missions,” she cautioned.
The Coast Guard said it had procured around 1,300 UAV units for maritime operations, with plans to strategically deploy them across its stations to ensure equal surveillance capability nationwide.
