RP remains updated on Ayungin Shoal situation — PN spokesman

From the Daily Tribune (May 27): RP remains updated on Ayungin Shoal situation — PN spokesman

The government leadership is up-to-date and well-informed of the situation in Ayungin Shoal in the disputed West Philippine Sea where the Chinese have maintained presence during the past weeks with first-hand information coming from the Navy personnel stationed in the area, a Philippine Navy (PN) official disclosed yesterday.

Col. Edgard Arevalo, Navy spokesman on West Philippine Sea, said that troops stationed in Ayungin Shoal, which is part of the Kalayaan Islands Group (KIGs), serve as the government’s “eyes and ears,” as he stressed the Navy’s commitment to closely monitor the area.

According to Arevalo, the report and documentation from the Navy troops in Ayungin would be used by the government in pursuing legal moves against China.

“The Navy remains committed and vigilant in monitoring the developments in the WPS (West Philippine Sea), especially in Ayungin Reef,” Arevalo said.

“Our personnel there serve as our eyes and ears in that isolated post who render round-the-clock reports and record what they observe as those form part of the documents required as basis for the government’s legal recourse and resort to arbitration,” he added.

As of latest monitoring last May 25, Arevalo said that there were two Chinese maritime surveillance ships along the vicinities of Ayungin Shoal.

“Vessels come and go, we cannot ascertain if they are out there permanently. While we are not sure about that, you can be sure that we are vigilant, our troops there continue to monitor,” Arevalo said.

“...what we are sure about is we are not letting our guards (down) and we’ll continue to monitor them and their movement,” the Navy official added.

Based on latest reports, there were no fishing activities monitored.

Arevalo said that Navy troops stationed in Ayungin Shoal are under instruction to closely monitor Chinese activities in the area.

The PN spokesman also stressed that higher headquarters are closely monitoring the situation in Ayungin Shoal.

“Our instruction remains to be vigilant, for them to monitor every movement, every development there and then aside from the round-the-clock monitoring, they are ding round the clock reporting,” said Arevalo.

“They (troops in Ayungin) are not the only ones monitoring (the situation), even the headquarter, all agencies of the government are monitoring the developments in the area even if we have a lot of undertakings,” he added.

Earlier, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin had vowed there will be no pull-out of troops from Ayungin Shoal as he stressed the military is ready to fight for “what is ours” until the last soldier standing.

The Chinese have been monitored in Ayungin Shoal, located approximately 120 nautical miles from Rizal town in Palawan and well within the country’s 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone, since early May.

Gazmin claimed that the Chinese were fishing inside the Philippine territory.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/14591-rp-remains-updated-on-ayungin-shoal-situation-pn-spokesman