BRP Sierra Madre

Japan has proven a willing partner in the pushback against Chinese aggression and perhaps the time has come to accord Taiwan more than the begrudging ties we have had with it.

The Chinese, it appears, have set their sights on the BRP Sierra Madre, the deliberately grounded Philippine naval vessel on Aungan Shoal that serves as the outpost of Philippine presence within our exclusive economic zone.

We should be clear about how America intends to honor its commitment under the mutual defense treaty, what we can expect and count on, especially under Donald Trump, whose so-called pragmatism, actually a scramble to save his party from ignominious defeat in the midterm elections, makes him cut deals with Putin at the expense of Ukraine.

I heard the top brass of the US Army testify before the US Congress, and they have a clearer, more categorical stand on friend and foe than their President.

Mm

... were, uh, deployed, uh, primarily in, uh, four areas, 'yung Scarborough, 'yung, uh, Ayungin Shoal where the BRP Sierra Madre is, Pag-asa, and Escoda, 'yung Sabina Shoal, no? So-

Mm

... from Oct- uh, from Oct- October 6 to 12, meron na raw, uh, 27, uh, PLAN and, uh, Chinese Coast Guard, uh, uh, ships that were spotted in these four areas.

Former House Quad Committee Chairman Robert Ace Barbers warned Filipinos against what he described as China's psychological warfare, urging the public not to panic over reports of possible Chinese sanctions and supply cuts against the Philippines.

Barbers questioned a report by Chinese Commercial News suggesting Beijing could cut oil supplies, disrupt fertilizer shipments, and push for the removal of the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungan Shoal.

He said the claims lacked official confirmation and could be intended to intimidate Philippine leaders and weaken public support for the country's position in the West Philippine Sea.

Barbers also linked the report to previous unverified claims that Batanis belongs to China, calling on Filipinos to remain vigilant and avoid being swayed by unconfirmed reports.

And this, well, this is believed to be anti-aircraft weaponry, and that is best explained by this.

Mere miles away is another low tide elevation, and on it is a barely perceptible speck that represents the far humbler Philippine equivalent of China's massive land reclamation project, the BRP Sierra Madre.

Previously known as the USS Barnett County, this vessel is a former American World War II era landing ship that eventually ended up in the Philippine Navy until they purposely ran it aground on Second Thomas Shoal in order to permanently station marines on it to guard what they assert is their territory.

Meanwhile, to the north, there's Taiping Island, held by Taiwan, a true, genuine na-

But the implication is that these nations are in a low-level conflict in what is functionally the high seas, a lawless zone, not technically, but at least functionally based on the breakdown of the very treaty designed to rectify that.

So what ensues is state-sanctioned chaos.

This is the BRP Sierra Madre, the grounded Philippine ship defended by the nation's Marines, and within the lagoon, well, these are Chinese vessels, likely Coast Guard ships.

In recent months, they've sat there almost continuously attempting to block access to the Sierra Madre, necessary for the Philippines to shuttle food in and swap Marines out to maintain their continuous presence.

Chinese Coast Guard vessels used water cannon and dangerous maneuvers to delay the medical evacuation of a Philippine Navy sailor from Ayungin Shoal by nearly 10 hours on Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard, PCG, said on Friday.

The sailor, who was stationed aboard the derelict BRP Sierra Madre that had been beached at the shoal, was eventually transferred to a PCG vessel and was reported in stable condition after receiving initial medical treatment.

He was being transported to the port of Buliluyan in Palawan for further treatment.

The PCG said the BRP Cabra had sailed from Lawak Island, about nine nautical miles north of Ayungin Shoal to fetch the sailor.

And that is best explained by this.

Mere miles away is another low tide elevation, and on it is a barely perceptible speck that represents the far humbler Philippine equivalent of China's massive land reclamation project, the BRP Sierra Madre.

Previously known as the USS Barnett County, this vessel is a former American World War II-era landing ship that eventually ended up in the Philippine Navy until they purposefully ran it aground on Second Thomas Shoal in order to permanently station marines on it to guard what they assert is their territory.

Meanwhile, to the north, there's Taiping Island, held by Taiwan, a true, genuine, naturally occurring piece of land that ranks as the sea's largest and also as the furthest extremity of the tiny island nation's territory, at least according to them.

But the implication is that these nations are in a low-level conflict in what is functionally the high seas, a lawless zone, not technically, but at least functionally based on the breakdown of the very treaty designed to rectify that.

So what ensues is state-sanctioned chaos.

This is the BRP Sierra Madre, the grounded Philippine ship defended by the nation's Marines, and within the lagoon, well, these are Chinese vessels, likely coast guard ships.

In recent months, they've sat there almost continuously attempting to block access to the Sierra Madre, necessary for the Philippines to shuttle food in and swap Marines out to maintain their continuous presence.