"Deliberately grounded on a tiny reef in the #SouthChinaSea, part of an island chain claimed by the two Asian countries, the #BRPSierraMadre is now the unlikely base for a detachment of Filipino marines who stand guard over the atoll, scanning the turquoise waters for Chinese ships." #AyunginShoal#SecondThomasShoal#Philippines
#Duterte’s silence over the issue amid the #Marcos administration’s strong condemnation of a series of Chinese actions in the #WestPhilippineSea has further fueled the observed split of the #Uniteam, the 2022 election coalition that led the Marcos-Duterte tandem to victory.