The BRP Sierra Madre was intentionally grounded in Ayungin Shoal in 1999 to serve as the country's military outpost in the West Philippine Sea.<br /><br />Last Saturday the Chinese Coast Guard fired water cannons at Philippine vessels headed there to resupply troops on board the ship.<br /><br />The move sparked condemnation from the Philippines and other countries including from the US Defense Chief who reaffirmed Washington's commitment to its mutual defense treaty with Manila.<br /><br />More from our senior correspondent, David Santos.<br /> <br />Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/<br /><br />Follow our social media pages:<br /><br />• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines<br />• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/<br />• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines<br /><br />
