CONTINUED patrol and surveillance operations will be exercised by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc, following the “dangerous and provocative actions” by China’s air force in the area.
AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Padilla stressed that they will maintain the country’s sovereignty and security in its maritime domain despite the recent incident involving the China air force, which endangered the lives of AFP personnel.
“With this incident, we affirm our commitment na patuloy nating i-eexercise ang ating rights sa lugar na ‘yan [we will continue to exercise our rights in that area] in accordance with the international law, particularly the UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea] and Chicago Convention — ‘yan ang nag-gogovern sa [that governs the] freedom of overflight,” Padilla said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.
Two People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force aircraft executed dangerous maneuvers and dropped flares in the path of an NC-212i Philippine Air Force (PAF) propeller aircraft conducting a routine maritime patrol over the Scarborough Shoal around 9 a.m. Thursday, according to AFP on Saturday.
While no personnel on board the aircraft was harmed, AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. emphasized that the Chinese aircrafts interfered with lawful flight operations and violated international law on aviation safety.
