The Philippines on Thursday rejected China’s demand that it remove the grounded BRP Sierra Madre ship from the Ayungin Shoal, saying it was the Chinese who were trespassers in the West Philippine Sea. The statement came after China demanded the Philippine government "honor its commitment" and remove the grounded ship, which is used by Philippine marines stationed there. "As far as I know there is no such commitment. That ship has beenthere since 1999. If there was (a) commitment it would have been removed a long time ago," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. He underscored that Ayungin Shoal lies within the Philippines'exclusive economic zone (EEZ) where it has sovereign rights. "Our EEZ was awarded to us by the 1982 UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) which China ratified. China should abide by its international obligations that it is part of," he said in a Facebook post.

Cruz, M. V., & Ramos-Araneta, M. (2021, November 26). China ‘trespassing’ in WPS. Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.