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Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner said Wednesday China's claim that they allowed Philippine resupply ships to enter Ayungin Shoal is just part of their ''propaganda''.

This was stressed by Brawner as he confirmed that the supplies delivered for the troops in BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal includes "supplies for the repair of the ships" as he noted that "it is our right, we have to make sure that that post ano, we consider it a post is habitable for our soldiers."

"Actually they do not know the content of the supplies and provisions that were brought there, so what they have said in their statement that they allow our ships to pass through because it doesn't have construction materials is again another, well we can say propaganda on their part," Brawner said in an interview with reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.

"First of all, we are going to a Philippine ship and Ayungin Shoal is within our exclusive economic zone. So we have all the right to perform our resupply mission. We have all the right to protect our exclusive economic zone and we have all the right to make sure that our soldiers are safe in BRP Sierra Madre," he added.

Brawner also denied that the Philippine made any arrangement with China for the resupply mission.

"It is not true that we had an arrangement with them, what we only do is continue with our resupply mission, whether they will allow us or prevent us, we are determined to continue our resupply mission," he said.

"We don't need to make arrangements or even ask permission from them because first of all that vessel is a commissioned ship of the Philippine Navy, we have soldiers there. It is our right, it is our obligation to make sure that our soldiers have the necessary provisions and supplies," he added.

Brawner added that during the resupply mission, one of the Chinese Coast Guard ship operated its water cannon but it was not pointed at the Philippine vessels.

"Although it was not directly pointed to the resupply ships and our Coast Guard ship but the mere fact that they operated their water cannons and they are ready to use it, is something else. It means they are giving warning. They are still preventing us, the elements of stopping our resupply mission is still there," he said.

"We can say that they were flexing their muscles, it seems that they are showing their presence and they are ready to use the water cannon against us, but unlike the past resupply mission where they really use the water cannons to divert our ships, to block our ships from reaching the BRP Sierra Madre," he added. Robina Asido/DMS