PCG denies notifying China before conducting RORE mission on Saturday
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) denied that they notified from China before conducting the resupply and rotation (RORE) mission last Saturday.
This cames after the China Foreign Ministry previously issued a statement saying that their coast guards monitored the whole operation and that they were informed before the mission was carried out.
It also said that only “humanitarian living necessities” were being delivered by the vessel.
In an interview with OneNews, PCG Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said: “We did not notify. We did not inform them. We did not ask permission.”
“The Philippine Coast Guard did not ask for any information from the Chinese government in the resupply mission we conducted. We also did not authorize the Chinese maritime forces to board (our vessels),” he said.
However, Tarriela refused to disclose the exact contents of the vessel used in the mission.
“Again, the stand of the National Task Force West Philippine Sea is that we will not let them know what we are carrying in the supply operation whether these are construction material or food or essential provisions. It doesn't really matter. For us, we have all the legitimate rights to carry out the resupply,” Tarriela said, citing that only the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) could reveal the contents of the vessel.
The DFA earlier announced that the Philippines had conducted a successful resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal under its provisional agreement with China which was signed recently. Jaspearl Tan/DMS
