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FILE PHOTO: The BRP Sierra Madre, a Navy warship that now serves as military outpost, keeps watch over Ayungin (Second Thomas), located within the country’s exclusive economic zone. Nearby are Chinese coast guard and militia vessels in this shot taken on February 21, 2023, during an aerial surveillance by the Philippine Coast Guard. —Philippine Daily […]
Cecille Suerte Felipe – The Philippine Star November 25, 2024 | 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — Task Force Ayungin would enhance the Philippines’ capability to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said yesterday. Estrada, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense, admitted that he has yet to get a briefing […]
The United States Department of Defense has confirmed that American troops are supporting Philippine operations in the South China Sea through the “US Task Force Ayungin,” whose existence only came to light when US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III mentioned it on social media. But Philippine security officials stressed that the little-known unit was limited […]
Cristina Chi – Philstar.com November 21, 2024 | 1:03pm MANILA, Philippines — The United States this week confirmed the existence of a dedicated military task force operating in support of Philippine interests at the hotly contested Ayungin Shoal. The US Task Force Ayungin was established to enhance both nations’ coordination and enable American troops to […]
United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed the deployment of American troops in Palawan as part of a task force named after Ayungin Shoal. In his visit in Palawan with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday, Austin met some members of American servicemen deployed to US Task Force Ayungin. “I visited the Command and […]
China has yet to address the Philippines’ demand for compensation over equipment damage and losses from the China Coast Guard’s harassment of Manila’s resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal in June. “Wala pang response ‘yung China. Nagbigay tayo ng sulat sa DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) nang sa gayon maisama nila dun sa mga demands natin […]
SUMMARY In the coastal town of Rizal in Palawan, under the cover of darkness, four Navy boats prepared to sail. It was June 17, probably past midnight, and they were going on a mission to replace the personnel on board the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal as well as replenish supplies. Jeffrey Facundo, underwater operator of the elite […]