Marines monitoring situation off Ayungin Shoal in good spirits

From the Philippine News Agency (May 28): Marines monitoring situation off Ayungin Shoal in good spirits

Despite the discomfort and relative isolation of their post, Marines monitoring the situation off Ayungin Shoal remain in good spirits, Navy spokesperson for West Philippine Sea issues Col. Edgard Arevalo said Tuesday.

"They (Marine contingent) are not demoralized because they can always count on us to resupply then whenever they need it," he added.

The former are based on the BRP Sierra Madre, a landing ship tank, which ran aground off Ayungin Shoal some years back.

Arevalo also said no additional Chinese ships have been sighted except for the two CMS (China Maritime Surveillance) vessels which arrived near Ayungin Shoal last weekend.

The fishing fleet, earlier estimated at three large steel-hulled ships and 10 wooden dinghies, have left the area also during the weekend.

The PN spokesperson for West Philippine Sea issues added the Marines are not threatened by the presence of the Chinese ships as the task of monitoring the latter is routine for these soldiers.

Arevalo also said the PN has yet to receive complaints from Marines there as they are in constant communication with the latter.

"But we hope that the protest we filed at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (for repeated Chinese incursions in Philippine maritime territory) will be resolved immediately," he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=528593