US defense chief Austin bares existence of ‘US Task Force Ayungin’ amid West PH Sea tensions

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17320800110641732008537317111924_Lloyd Austin.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Philippines’ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. receive United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III during his fourth visit to the Philippines on November 18, 2024. <em>Handout/DND</em></span></span></span>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) — US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III bared the existence of the “US Task Force Ayungin” amid tensions in the West Philippine Sea.</div><p>Austin and his counterpart Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. visited the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command in Palawan on Wednesday as part of their bilateral engagements. </p><p>The two secretaries visited the Command and Control Fusion Center at the Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa in Palawan.</p><p>The air base is among the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the country, where the US military has been given access.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/19/us-defense-chief-believes-ph-us-alliance-to-transcend-changes-in-administrations-1640">RELATED: US defense chief believes PH-US alliance to &#x27;transcend&#x27; changes in administrations</a></div><p>“I also met with some American service members deployed to U.S. Task Force Ayungin, and I thanked them for their hard work on behalf of the American people and our alliances and partnerships in this region,” Austin said in a post on X. </p><p>Austin did not give details about the task force but US troops have in the past been stationed in the Philippines — at Camp General Basilio Navarro in Zamboanga City, for example — to provide technical assistance to the Philippine military.</p><p>The US Embassy confirmed the existence of Task Force Ayungin on Monday night.</p><p>In a statement, the embassy said the task force enhances US-PH alliance coordination and interoperability &quot;by enabling US forces to support Armed Forces of the Philippines activities in the South China Sea.&quot;</p><p>&quot;This initiative aligns with multiple lines of cooperation between U.S. and Philippine forces, including the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) process and the Bantay Dagat framework, in addition to our longstanding shared efforts to address regional challenges, foster stability, and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region,&quot; it added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/8/china-won-t-like-new-ph-laws-on-maritime-zones-archipelagic-sea-lanes-expert-1544">RELATED: China &#x27;won&#x27;t like&#x27; new Philippine laws on maritime zones, archipelagic sea lanes — expert</a></div><p>Ayungin Shoal, or Second Thomas Shoal, is where the BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded since 1999.</p><p>The World War II-era ship has become a symbol of the Philippines’ determination to defend its sovereign rights over the area against claimants. </p><p>China claims almost the entire South China Sea and has brushed aside a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that its sweeping claims were not supported by international law.</p><p>The China Coast Guard and maritime militia have been harassing, blocking and executing dangerous maneuvers on Philippine vessels conducting legitimate maritime operations, particularly in Ayungin Shoal, Escoda Shoal and Panatag Shoal.</p><p>The AFP has yet to respond to questions on the existence and role of the “US Task Force Ayungin.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pwnitpdjvl0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Ayungin Shoal, or Second Thomas Shoal, is where the BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded since 1999.</p>

Ayungin Shoal, or Second Thomas Shoal, is where the BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded since 1999.

US defense chief Austin bares existence of ‘US Task Force Ayungin’ amid West PH Sea tensions | ABS-CBN

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US defense chief Austin bares existence of ‘US Task Force Ayungin’ amid West PH Sea tensions

US defense chief Austin bares existence of ‘US Task Force Ayungin’ amid West PH Sea tensions

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 20, 2024 01:20 PM PHT

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Updated Nov 20, 2024 09:19 PM PHT

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United States

China

West Philippine Sea

Lloyd Austin

US Task Force Ayungin

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