MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday condemned the actions by China’s air force on August 8 against a Filipino military plane patrolling over Scarborough Shoal.
Marcos called the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s actions “unjustified, illegal and reckless” as the Philippine Air Force (PAF) aircraft was conducting a routine maritime security operation in Philippine airspace.
“We have hardly started to calm the waters, and it is already worrying that there could be instability in our airspace,” Palace’s statement read.
“The Philippines will always remain committed to proper diplomacy and peaceful means of resolving disputes. However, we strongly urge China to demonstrate that it is fully capable of responsible action, both in the seas and in the skies,” it added.
On August 8, multi-role fighter jets of the Chinese Air Force executed dangerous maneuvers and dropped flares near the PAF patrol plane while it was flying in the airspace over Scarborough Shoal.
Multi-role fighter jets are designed to perform a variety of combat and operational roles. These aerial vessels are usually equipped with missiles and guns.
This is the first reported incident of China’s harassment in Philippine airspace. China’s coast guard and maritime militias often escalate tensions in parts of the West Philippine Sea, which has, on several occasions, left Philippine Coast Guard personnel injured.
The August 8 incident was condemned by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Saturday.
“The incident posed a threat to the Philippine Air Force aircraft and its crew, interfered with lawful flight operations in airspace within Philippine sovereignty and jurisdiction, and contravened international law and regulations governing the safety of aviation,” the AFP’s statement read.
Beijing asserts nearly the entire South China Sea, dismissing competing claims from several Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, as well as a 2016 international ruling that discredits its claims as having no legal foundation.
Scarborough Shoal, a triangular chain of reefs and rocks, is 240 kilometres (150 miles) west of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometres from the nearest major Chinese land mass of Hainan. — with reports from Agence France-Presse
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