MANILA, Philippines - The Marines deployed at Ayungin Shoal are becoming familiar with the Chinese coast guard vessel encircling their position in the area being claimed by Beijing as an integral part of its maritime domain.
The Chinese vessel, if not guarding the southern entrance to the shoal, usually takes position a few kilometers from the grounded BRP Sierra Madre on the western side of the 17-kilometer-long, seven-kilometer-wide strategic outcrop that China is trying to wrest control of.
“Frequently, we eyeball each other through our respective binoculars during our routine monitoring to keep an eye on each other’s movements and activities,” Cpl. Roland Wong told The STAR earlier this month.
Wong, whose father is Chinese, and the rest of the members of the Marine contingent under the command of Marine 2Lt Salacudin Magedia, are the latest batch of mainland Palawan-based Marine Battalion Landing Team 12 (MBLT-12) deployed to guard and protect the country’s sovereign rights in Ayungin Shoal.
He added that on several occasions, he saw through his binoculars several sailors on the Chinese vessel also training their telescopes on the BRP Sierra Madre outpost.
So as not to increase tension, Wong said he and the rest of the contingent, in a non-provocative action, would simply give the thumbs-up sign, and the Chinese would reply with the same hand gesture.
At least, in doing this, peace is maintained in the area instead of adding to the prevailing security concerns in the area, said Wong, father of an eight-month-old baby with his Bacolod City-based teacher wife.
Born to a Chinese father and Filipina mother who used to work in Binondo, Wong said their non-provocative actions in dealing with the Chinese should not be interpreted as a sign of weakness or that they’re afraid of their already regular albeit unwelcome visitors.
“Our mission here is to safeguard and protect the country’s sovereignty and we are always ready for any eventuality. We are going to protect this area at all costs. We are not going to yield this,” Wong declared, with his colleagues expressing agreement.
Gym
While on their regular monitoring around the shoal, the Marines engage in various activities like exercising in their mini-gym, growing vegetables in pots, watching movies they have already watched several times over, singing along with the karaoke or playing the guitar, card and board games to ward off boredom.
The soldiers also spend their free time fishing inside the shoal to complement their rations.
Located in the middle of the sea and based on a rusty, run-down and grounded Navy ship, soldiers assigned at Ayungin, as well as those who are assigned in other outposts in the country’s regime of islands in the hotly contested Spratlys archipelago, receive extra pay, equivalent to half of their base pay, as bonus. Their rotation usually lasts for three to five months.
Lt. Magedia, who got married four months ago, said as a soldier, he has to follow the order of his superiors and become the acting commander at Ayungin, even if it means being separated from his new bride.
“Anyway, my wife understands my job because like me, she is also in the military,” Magedia said.
As commander, Magedia said he sees to it that all his men are in top shape physically and mentally.
Other than their main monitoring duties, the Marines have to follow daily schedules that Magedia posted on their makeshift bulletin board located in their so-called conference room that also doubles as kitchen, dining area and entertainment center.