China claim BRP Sierra Madre ‘polluting’ WPS false – PH Navy

Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad. (Photo: Philippine Navy/Facebook)

By Priam Nepomuceno, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – A ranking Philippine Navy (PN) official on Tuesday denied reports made by Chinese media that the BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57) in Ayungin Shoal is polluting the West Philippine Sea by burning its waste materials.

In a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, PN spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the smoke seen from the vessel was due to a fire drill undertaken by its crew.

He added that this exercise was to ensure the “survivability and operational readiness” of the vessel.

“Such activity was conducted aboard BRP Sierra Madre last 28 February. The smoke incidentally went beyond what they were intending to exercise, nevertheless this was put under control, there was no damage to the environment, all the men aboard the ship are safe. The exercise was conducted successfully,” Trinidad said.

The PN official added that the crew aboard the BRP Sierra Madre used “combustible material” to make the exercise more realistic.

“It so happened because of the strong winds napalakas (the smoke spread further) but they were able to put everything under control,” Trinidad said.

Trinidad, meanwhile, said these malicious claims are part of the “deceptive messaging of the Chinese Communist Party” and the Philippines is being attacked in the “information domain”.

“The battlefield is the cognitive domain or the minds of the Filipino people. This is also called (foreign influence and) malign influence (operation),” he added.