00:00The armed forces downplayed the presence of a Chinese tugboat near a Yungin shoal but vowed to continue supply missions to troops stationed on BRP Sierra Madre.
00:10At the same time, a new survey shows Filipinos' overwhelming distrust of China and strong support for defending the country's rights in the West Philippine Sea.
00:19Our Patrick DeJesus reports.
00:21A PLA Navy tugboat from China was spotted since yesterday circling about 5 nautical miles from BRP Sierra Madre in a Yungin shoal.
00:33This comes just days after China conducted drills in the area where the China Coast Guard also deployed armed reefs and fast boats.
00:41But according to the armed forces of the Philippines, the presence of the tugboat is not alarming.
00:47They said it was possibly deployed in case of accidents involving Chinese vessels.
00:53While this is not a cause for alarm, it is not also a reason for us to be prepared for them to tow away BRP Sierra Madre.
01:03It will take more than a tugboat to pull out BRP Sierra Madre.
01:08Our assessment is that this is more for their own use in the event that they would need a tugboat to pull out any of the ships that would run aground.
01:16The AFP further stressed that the BRP Sierra Madre cannot simply be removed and Filipino troops stationed there will not allow it.
01:27Firmly anchored yung BRP Sierra Madre.
01:30There are already rules of engagements and contingency plans in place for any eventuality.
01:35Kasama doon yung mga ganong gagawin ng kabilang side.
01:38AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Browner Jr. earlier stated that one red line in the West Philippine Sea would be the loss of Filipino lives, which could trigger the Mutual Defense Treaty and U.S. support.
01:53Aside from the tugboat, 13 Chinese maritime militia vessels and two China Coast Guard ships remain in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal, two nodical miles from BRP Sierra Madre.
02:06Despite the illegal presence of Chinese vessels, the AFP vowed that rotation and resupply missions will continue.
02:13The rotation and reprovisioning of our forces is a moral obligation of the leadership of the armed forces.
02:24Regardless of any threat, any coercive-aggressive action, it will be conducted.
02:30We owe it to the men and women in the front lines to provide them with the appropriate support that they need, especially food and other important supplies.
02:41Meanwhile, a survey shows that majority of Filipinos distrust China, with many supporting the assertion of Philippine rights in the West Philippine Sea.
02:51According to the July Okta Research Survey, with 1,200 respondents, 85% said they do not trust China.
03:0074% believe China poses the greatest threat to the Philippines, while 76% support current government measures to uphold Philippine rights in the West Philippine Sea.
03:13The Department of National Defense welcomed the survey results, saying the growing public awareness of the West Philippine Sea issue serves as an inspiration for the government to defend the country's rights in line with international law and the 2016 arbitral ruling.
03:32Patrick De Azuz from The National TV for a New and Better Philippines.
