AFP increases its focus on Sabina Shoal
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has increased their focus on Sabina Shoal as it ramped up its activities in the West Philippine Sea in implementing the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC).
"We have increased our presence over the entire expanse of the West Philippine Sea. We have also, within the CADC, increased our focus on Escoda or Sabina Shoal," Philippine Navy spokesman for West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad told reporters in a press conference in Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday.
"The presence of the (Philippine) Navy and the Air Force there is not permanent in the sense that our ships are anchored there. But rest assured, we have increased our focus on Escoda or Sabina Shoal," he added.
Last September, one of the Philippine Coast Guard's biggest ships left Escoda Shoal after staying for five months. A replacement was send to the area, the government said.
Trinidad also noted a "dramatic increase" in the activities of the AFP in the West Philippine Sea following the implementation of CADC based on the directive of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
"The AFP recalibrated its approach in the West Philippine Sea. A lot, I would say majority, if not all, of the strategic assets of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force are now geared towards protecting, securing, and monitoring all the way up to our Exclusive Economic Zone. That includes the West Philippine Sea. so yes, there has been a dramatic increase in our activities in the West Philippine Sea," he said.
"Looking at the increase of the operational tempo of the armed forces in the West Philippine Sea after the pronouncement of the (Secretary of National Defense) SND, I could say that there has been a dramatic increase. On the specific numbers, we are still working on that," he added.
Trinidad said there was no ''untoward incidents'' against Philippine military assets recorded since the flare incident in Scarborough Shoal last August 8.
"There have been no untoward incidents against the assets of the Philippine Air Force, the Philippine Navy, basically against the AFP in the West Philippine Sea," he said.
Trinidad did not say why China eased its harassment against military assets in the West Philippines Sea but he noted that "there are other actions being done by the different agencies of government" to reduce the tension in the region.
It can be noted that the last two rotation and resupply missions of the AFP for the troops in the grounded Navy vessel in Ayungin shoal was done without the interference of Chinese vessels.
The last two RoRe missions were conducted following the first and second Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) meeting between the Philippine and China last July 27 and September 11, 2024. Robina Asido/DMS
