MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has made its position clear: the Philippines has no plans to abandon or remove the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal.
AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, retired Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, rejected what he described as misleading narratives being circulated by the Chinese Embassy regarding the Philippine military outpost in the disputed waters.
Trinidad said the presence of the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal is justified by international law and the Philippines’ position under the 2016 Arbitral Award, which affirmed the country’s sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone.
The statement comes as tensions in the West Philippine Sea remain high following a series of confrontations between Philippine and Chinese maritime forces.
AFP: No plans to leave BRP Sierra Madre
According to the AFP, there are no plans to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal.
Trinidad also accused Beijing of attempting to reshape the narrative surrounding China’s activities in the West Philippine Sea, pointing to the 1995 occupation and construction of structures at Mischief Reef as an example of what he described as China’s changing position on the disputed waters.
The AFP’s latest statement reinforces Manila’s continuing position that its presence and operations around Ayungin Shoal are based on Philippine sovereign rights and international law.
Tensions escalated after July 20 Ayungin incident
The declaration comes only weeks after a confrontation near the BRP Sierra Madre on July 20, 2026, when Philippine Navy personnel encountered Chinese Coast Guard personnel operating close to the grounded Philippine vessel.
The AFP rejected China’s account of the incident and accused the China Coast Guard of making misleading claims about what happened. The military also said a video released by China had been edited or spliced in a way that distorted the incident.
Two Filipino military personnel were injured during the confrontation and were subsequently evacuated in a Philippine-led medical evacuation mission.
The Philippine Coast Guard said its vessels successfully evacuated the injured personnel from the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal on July 21 despite what it described as obstruction by Chinese Coast Guard vessels.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also condemned the reported assault on Philippine Navy personnel and reiterated the government’s commitment to defending Philippine rights through diplomatic means.
Philippines says China does not have to approve Ayungin missions
Another major point of contention is the Philippines’ routine rotation and resupply (RORE) missions to the BRP Sierra Madre.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has clarified that a Provisional Understanding exists between Manila and Beijing concerning the conduct of these missions. However, the DFA has repeatedly stressed that the arrangement does not require the Philippines to seek China’s permission before conducting its resupply operations.
ABS-CBN likewise reported earlier this month that the AFP maintained that the Philippines does not need China’s approval to conduct its Ayungin resupply missions.
President Marcos has also said the arrangement with China does not weaken Philippine sovereign rights.
Why the BRP Sierra Madre matters
The BRP Sierra Madre is a Philippine Navy vessel deliberately grounded at Ayungin Shoal in 1999 and has since served as a military outpost for Filipino personnel stationed in the area.
The 2016 arbitral ruling in The Hague found that Ayungin Shoal is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and that the feature itself does not generate maritime entitlements for another state. China has rejected the ruling.
The Philippine government continues to invoke the award as a legal basis for its activities in the area.
The DFA reiterated in July that Ayungin Shoal forms part of the Philippines’ EEZ and continental shelf under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
The bigger question now
With the AFP insisting that the BRP Sierra Madre will not be abandoned, the issue is no longer simply about the aging warship itself.
It is also about whether Manila can continue supplying and maintaining its personnel in Ayungin Shoal while managing the risk of another confrontation with Chinese maritime forces.
The latest AFP statement therefore sends a clear message: the Philippines intends to maintain its presence at Ayungin Shoal while continuing to assert its rights through international law and diplomatic channels.
And with tensions still simmering after the July confrontation, the next Philippine rotation and resupply mission could once again become a closely watched flashpoint in the West Philippine Sea.
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