The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Saturday condemned the “dangerous and provocative actions” of Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) that endangered the lives of Philippine Air Force (PAF) personnel undertaking maritime security operations within Manila’s maritime zones.
AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said that on the early morning of August 8, a PAF NC-212i aircraft was conducting a routine maritime patrol over Bajo de Masinloc in West Philippine Sea when two aircraft from the PLAAF executed a dangerous maneuver and dropped flares in the path of PAF’s NC-212i.
“The incident posed a threat to 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 safety of aviation. “ Brawner said.
Brawner said that the pilots and crew of the NC-212i safely returned to Clark Air Base at 10:00AM that day. “All personnel on board were unharmed.” He added.
The AFP has reported the incident to the Department of Foreign Affairs and relevant government agencies.
A Chinese research vessel has been spotted in the resource-rich Recto Bank (Reed Bank), a independent monitor said on Friday.
The Chinese vessel was supposedly exploring reefs and shoals in the west of Palawan.
Retired U.S. Air force officer Ray Powell, director of maritime transparency initiative SeaLight, quoted by ABS-CBN News, said China’s 74-meter-long ship Ke Xue San Hao entered the south part of Recto Bank at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Recto Bank, also called Reed Bank, is an underwater reef formation that is believed to contain huge reserves of oil and natural gas situated 85 nautical miles from Palawan.
While it is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, Manila has not been able to exploit Recto Bank’s resources due to its dispute with Beijing.
A 2013 report from the United States Energy Information Administration said Reed Bank could hold up to 5.4 billion barrels of oil and 55.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, quoted by ABS-CBN News, said Ke Xue San Hao’s presence in the Philippine waters has been dubious as it was observed navigating in a zigzag pattern.
“When you are navigating in a zigzag pattern, it means you are doing something else. In our community, if a person is acting erratically, it usually means they have bad intentions. If you’re just passing by, you should keep moving straight ahead,” Trinidad said.
