PH expecting more bullying incidents
THE defense and military establishments are expecting for more incidents of Chinese harassment in the West Philippine Sea, similar to that last Thursday when one of two Chinese multi-role fighters (MRFs) dropped flares in the path of a Philippine Air Force plane conducting maritime patrol over Scarborough Shoal.
“We to expect that this is going to be continuous pattern which China will do against us…
This is a continuous struggle for presence and for assertion of sovereign rights in the area so you will have to expect these things to happen,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr told reporters in an interview at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, in the same interview, said government will lodge diplomatic protest.
President Marcos Jr on Sunday “strongly condemned” the action of the Chinese air force, calling it “unjustified, illegal and reckless.”
The Armed Forces leadership has condemned the China’s “dangerous and provocative actions” which it said endangered the lives of the aircraft’s pilots and crew.
In the latest incident of Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), an Air Force NC-212i aircraft was conducting routine maritime patrol over Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc and Panatag Shoal, when it was subjected to dangerous maneuvers by the two Chinese planes.
China gained control of the contested shoal in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels. Since then, the Chinese have prevented Filipino fishermen from entering the shoal’s lagoon.
China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Saturday, Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army said the Philippine aircraft had illegally intruded despite repeated warnings.
CONSISTENT PATTERN
Teodoro said the government cannot let the incident pass without any objection, “otherwise we are going to be acquiescing.”
“This is a consistent pattern of behavior of China. They will stick to their narrative which we know lacks international support whatsoever,” he said.
“All they have on their side is brute force and strength and might and that’s what they are going do. Hopefully they listen to reason and heed the appeals of not only the Philippines but other countries to temper their moves and act in accordance with international law,” he added.
Teodoro said he does not consider the incident as alarming but said it is something that “we should need to be acclimated to.”
Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr said the military will continue conducting maritime patrols in the WPS.
“I’ve asked our personnel in the AFP not to be scared. Not only the pilots but also our sailors, they should continue doing maritime patrols,” he said.
Brawner said standard operating procedures mandate pilots to evade when they are subjected to such dangerous maneuvers.
He said one of the Chinese aircraft was monitored 2,000 feet from the rear of the PAF plane. The other one, he said, came closer but did not say the distance.
Brawner said that while two Chinese aircraft intercepted the PAF plane, only one of them launched the flares.
Brawner said this was the first incident in which China launched flares on a Philippine military aircraft. “But the dangerous maneuver is not the first time,” he said without elaborating.
“We will continue with the patrols that we are doing and more importantly, we are not going to be silent about this because we’ll be silent, they may continue doing this (dangerous) maneuvers,” said Brawner.
PROTEST
Teodoro, Brawner and Manalo led officials in commemorating the International Humanitarian Law Day and celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions at Camp Aguinaldo.
“Definitely, we’ll protest this latest move,” said Manalo, adding the incident occurred at a time when tension in the WPS has calmed a bit.
DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said the diplomatic protest “will be sent within the day (Monday).”
Manalo said the President has already come out “very strongly on this and we will maintain that position.”
“China has always said it wanted to de-escalate (the tensions). But every time, of course, these things happen, certainly it tends to raise tensions so it’s something that certainly we have to pay close attention to,” he said.
The latest came amid lowered tension in the WPS following a provisional agreement between Manila and China regarding the conduct of resupply missions to Filipino troops at the grounded Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.
The provisional agreement was an offshoot of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism between the Philippines and China last month.
Manalo said Philippines remains committed to resolving the territorial dispute through diplomatic and peaceful means and “it’s up to China whether they will (take the same path).”
On whether China’s latest actions were in bad faith as these came while the two sides are in talks to deescalate the tension, Manalo said, “I don’t know why they did it, that’s what I can say. They took us by surprise.”
DISTURBED
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) also denounced China’s “irresponsible, unprofessional, illegal and dangerous acts.”
“By launching flares in the flight path of the PAF plane, the PLAAF (People’s Liberation Army-Air Force) fighters exhibited hazardous intent,” the task force said.
“Just when the waters of the West Philippine Sea seemed to show calm, the airspace above it was disturbed with acts of aggression,” it also said.
The NTF-WPS urged China “to cease all forms of provocative and hazardous acts that could undermine the safety of Filipino military and civilian personnel in the waters or in the skies, destabilize regional peace, and erode the trust and confidence of the international community in the PRC (People’s Republic of China).”
It stressed maritime patrols will continue within Philippine sovereign territory, airspace and 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone.
“The monitoring of our country’s airspace will be intensified. Our strong, prepared and highly-motivated Armed Forces will continue to perform its mandate to protect our people and to secure the nation on land, air, sea, and cyberspace, proving time and again that it is a force for regional peace and stability,” it added. — With Ashzel Hachero
