CHINESE SHIPS IN AYUNGIN

On May 8, 2013, three Chinese naval ships were spotted by Philippine maritime surveillance vessels surrounding the Ayungin Reef (Second Thomas Shoal), which is located just 105 nautical miles from Palawan, well within the 200 mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. The Ayungin Reef is guarded by a Philippine marine detachment on board the BRP Sierra Madre ship that is permanently moored in the Ayungin Reef to protect it.
“We will not allow China to establish a blockade to prevent the Philippine Navy from replenishing the Philippine marine base at Ayungin with personnel and materials,” declared Ted Laguatan, spokesman of the USP4GG. “We support Philippine Defense Secretary Volatire Gazmin’s vow to defend Ayungin to the last soldier standing.”

The Ayungin Reef is considered the gateway to the Recto Bank, which the US Energy Information Agency (EIA) estimates to contain 2.5 billion barrels of oil and 25.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. In his July 25, 2011 State of the Nation Address (SONA), Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III declared: “What is ours is ours; setting foot on Recto Bank is no different from setting foot on Recto Avenue.”
GLOBAL PROTEST ACTIONS PLANNED
The USP4GG announced that the July 24 action at the United Nations will include simultaneous town hall meetings to discuss the China threat in Filipino communities throughout the United States. It will also call on the US communities of the claimant countries whose territories are being invaded by Chinese ships from the Sansha prefecture.
Rep. Walden Bello of the Akbayan partylist announced that his group will join the July 24 mass action that will be planned for the Philippines and will encourage its supporters throughout the world to join in global actions to denounce the Sansha prefecture and its provocative actions in the Ayungin Reef.
USP4GG is calling on all patriotic Filipinos to join in the July 4 denunciation of China’s imperialist activities in the South China Sea.
For more information, log on to USPGG.org.