Resupply mission for BRP Sierra Madre happening ‘soon’

ABS-CBN – The rotation and resupply (RORE) mission to the BRP Sierra Madre — the Philippines’ lone outpost in the Ayungin Shoal — is set to commence “soon,” the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Saturday, about 2 weeks after China meddled the operations by launching water cannons and nearly ramming into Manila’s resupply vessels.

Coast Guard modernization must be prioritized

Manila Times – Rarely has there been such a stark depiction of the disadvantage of the Philippines in the face of Chinese bullying in the West Philippine Sea: in a photo snapped by a reporter from Agence France-Presse on April 23 and published on the front page of The Manila Times yesterday, a large, well-armed China Coast Guard ship was shown blocking the path of a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) patrol boat half its size, in an incident that nearly caused a collision.