AFP vows continued patrols in Scarborough after China's dangerous acts

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Sunday it will continue its patrol and surveillance operations 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.

But for the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese PLA, the Philippine aircraft, "despite repeated warnings from China, insisted on illegally intruding into the airspace of Huangyan Island," disrupting training activities.

"The on-site operation was professional, abided by norms, legitimate, and legal," the PLA said, urging the Philippines to stop what it called infringement and provocation.

Padilla, in return, insisted that China air force’s action was provocative as it dropped flares that emitted light and heat.

“Provocative ang actions nila… Do’n sa path nila (PAF) ni-release itong mga flares na ito,” she said.

(China’s actions were provocative. They released the flares towards the path of the PAF aircraft.)

“Nag-contravene ito sa [this contravened the] international law and regulations that is governing the safety of aviation. Ito ang very reason kung bakit tayo nagko-conduct tayo ng mga [this is the very reason why we conduct these] joint maritime exercise, multi-lateral exercises because we want to preserve freedom of navigation and overflight in those areas,” she added.

The AFP said it had already reported the incident to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and relevant government agencies.

GMA News Online also sought the comment of the Chinese Embassy regarding the matter, and will update this story once it responds.

On Wednesday, China's Southern Theater Command said it conducted "a joint combat patrol in the sea and air space" near Scarborough Shoal.

The maneuvers tested "the reconnaissance and early warning, rapid mobility, and joint strike capabilities of theater troops," Beijing said, according to a report by Agence France-Presse.

The Scarborough Shoal, a triangular coral reef formation which surrounds a lagoon, is famed for its rich waters and marine resources. It is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and is considered within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, based on the 1982 UNCLOS. 

In 2016, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) deemed Scarborough Shoal a high-tide feature, meaning a number of its rocks remained exposed at high tide. 

Despite this, the tribunal found that the high-tide features at the shoal “are rocks that cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own” and therefore shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.

China, which does not recognize the ruling, also claims sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal, which it calls “Huangyan Dao” and treats it as part of the Zhongsha Islands. —KG, GMA Integrated News