Philippines reinforces its claim to South China Sea outpost
Navy is quietly renovating a rusting ship that it uses as a foothold on one of the reefs in Spratly Islands - territory that is disputed with China
The Philippine navy is quietly reinforcing the hull and deck of a rusting ship it ran aground on a disputed South
Sea reef in 1999 to stop it breaking apart, determined to hold the shoal as Beijing creates a string of man-made islands nearby.
Using wooden fishing boats and other small craft, the navy has run the gauntlet of the Chinese coastguard to move cement, steel, cabling and welding equipment to the BRP Sierra Madre since late last year, two navy officers who have been inside the vessel told Reuters in recent interviews.
The 100 metre-long (330-foot) tank landing ship was built for the U.S. Navy during World War Two. It was eventually transferred to the Philippine navy, which deliberately grounded it on Second Thomas Shoal to mark Manila’s claim to the reef in the Spratly archipelago of the South China Sea. A small contingent of Philippine soldiers are stationed onboard.
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“We know China has been waiting for the ship to disintegrate but we are doing everything to hold it together,” said one of the officers, adding that while the work was progressing slowly, it should be finished by the year-end.
The other naval officer said welding was being done at night because of the heat. Concrete foundations were being laid inside the ship’s hull to try to stabilise it, he added.
Without giving exact dates, both sources said they witnessed the repairs taking place earlier this year. They declined to be identified because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
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Asked about the repairs, Philippine Foreign Ministry spokesman Charles Jose declined to comment. But such work would not violate an informal code of conduct signed in 2002 by China and Southeast Asian states that prohibited any change to the status quo in disputed areas, he said.
“In our view, repairs and maintenance of existing facilities are allowed ... especially if such repairs and maintenance work are for the safety of our personnel and safety of navigation,” Jose added.
The Philippine Defence Ministry declined to comment.
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A Philippine general familiar with the repairs told Reuters the ship’s hull and deck were being strengthened, and air-conditioning units added.
“We are improving the living quarters inside, to make life for our soldiers more comfortable,” he said, declining to give further details about the repairs or be identified.
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Besides being a military outpost, the BRP Sierra Madre is also a commissioned Philippine navy ship.
That means Manila could request U.S. military assistance under a decades-old security treaty with Washington if the ship was attacked, said senior Philippine military officials.
“Even if it’s covered with rust, it will remain an active duty commissioned navy ship. It’s a symbol of our sovereignty,” said the Philippine general.
