AFP: Ayungin Shoal and BRP Sierra Madre 'Will Never Be Abandoned'; No Foreign Power Approval Needed for Resupply

Armed Forces of the Philippines West Philippine Sea spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said on August 11, 2026 that 'BRP Sierra Madre nor Second Thomas Shoal or Ayungin Shoal will never be abandoned,' stressing the AFP's constitutional mandate to defend Philippine territory through continued troop rotation and resupply. Trinidad said the AFP 'need not seek approval, nor inform any foreign power' in performing its mandate, and noted the most recent resupply mission had occurred 45 days prior with current provisioning deemed adequate. The same day, the Department of Foreign Affairs separately defended the Provisional Understanding on Rotation and Resupply (RORE), saying it 'does not, and never did, restrict or limit the exercise of Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction under international law' and that 15 incident-free RORE missions have been conducted since the arrangement took effect, in response to continued criticism from retired Justice Antonio Carpio.