WATCH: In Ayungin Shoal, China chases after Filipino soldiers’ supplies too

MANILA, Philippines – Days after China, through its state-owned media, accused Filipino soldiers of pointing their guns at the China Coast Guard in Ayungin Shoal, the military released their own video showing how the Chinese tried to take a supply package for soldiers in the BRP Sierra Madre.

During a press conference on Tuesday, June 4, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) released to media a three-minute video showing Chinese personnel aboard rigid hull inflatable boats trying to take an airdropped package of food for soldiers stationed at the Sierra Madre, a rusting warship grounded on the shoal.

On board rubber boats, the Philippines tried to get the package, which was the second in four sorties that dropped essential supplies. The AFP said the resupply mission was still a success since soldiers were able to secure the three other drops.

When the Chinese realized only food was inside the packages, they dumped it back onto the sea.

The BRP Sierra Madre is a rusting warship that was run aground in Ayungin Shoal in 1999, after China started building on nearby Mischief Reef. The World War II-era vessel has managed to survive decades at sea, as is where a handful of Philippine soldiers are stationed for months at a time.

Resupply missions are critical as they allow soldiers to continue to keep watch over the shoal, located just over 120 nautical miles away from mainland Palawan. It’s the flashpoint for tensions between Beijing and Manila, with Chinese ships routinely harassing rotation and resupply missions to the Sierra Madre.

Airdrops, an alternative to resupply missions via boat, are typically not publicized by the military. – Rappler.com