MANILA — Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Monday strongly condemned actions by Chinese military aircraft that endangered a Philippine Air Force (PAF) plane over the contested waters of Bajo de Masinloc, asserting that such behavior threatens regional peace and stability.
According to Philippines News Agency, on August 8, two Chinese fighter jets executed dangerous maneuvers and released flares directly in the flight path of a PAF aircraft within Philippine territory. This provocative act compelled the Philippine plane to undertake evasive actions, though it ultimately returned safely to Clark Air Base in Pampanga.
Following the incident, China reiterated its claim of "indisputable sovereignty" over Bajo de Masinloc and its surrounding waters, demanding that the Philippines cease what it referred to as "infringement" activities. However, Romualdez refuted these claims, emphasizing that they lack legal foundation and violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He pointed out that Bajo de Masinloc is located 120 nautical miles from Luzon, well within the Philippines' 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), compared to 594 nautical miles from China's nearest point on Hainan Island.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) also issued a statement condemning the aggressive behavior exhibited by the China People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The task force described the launch of flares as indicative of "hazardous intent" and called on the Chinese government to cease all provocative actions that risk the safety of both military and civilian personnel in the region.
The NTF-WPS affirmed that the Philippines would continue its air and maritime security patrols within its sovereign territory and EEZ to uphold national security and regional stability, praising the professionalism and restraint shown by the Filipino pilots and crew in face of such challenges.