The Philippines on Saturday called on China to cease actions that jeopardize the safety of Philippine vessels and aircraft following the recent deployment of flares from the China-occupied Subi (Zamora) Reef in the West Philippine Sea.
In a statement, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) declared, “We firmly reiterate our call on the government of the People’s Republic of China to immediately cease all provocative and dangerous actions that threaten the safety of Philippine vessels and aircraft engaged in legitimate and regular activities within Philippine territory and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the right of all vessels and aircraft exercising freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.”
“Such actions undermine regional peace and security and further erode the image of the PRC with the international community,” the task force added.
The NTF-WPS confirmed the incident, which occurred on August 22, stating that flares were “unjustifiably deployed” from Zamora Reef while the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) was conducting a lawful maritime domain awareness flight.
The task force noted, “The People’s Republic of China (PRC) launched flares from Zamora Reef, a militarized illegally-reclaimed artificial island by China, within the territorial sea of Pag-asa Island.”
The NTF-WPS explained that the BFAR aircraft, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), was monitoring and intercepting poachers within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the territorial waters of the Kalayaan Island Group.
“While the BFAR was conducting the routine patrol, the PRC unjustifiably deployed flares from Zamora Reef,” the statement continued.
The task force also reported that the same BFAR aircraft was harassed by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) on August 19 during a similar mission near Bajo de Masinloc.
During the August 19 incident, the NTF-WPS said a PLAAF fighter jet 63270 performed “irresponsible and dangerous maneuvers, deploying flares multiple times at a dangerously close distance of approximately 15 meters from the BFAR Grand Caravan aircraft.”
The NTF-WPS emphasized that the Chinese fighter jet was not provoked, yet its actions showed “hazardous intent that jeopardized the safety of the personnel onboard the BFAR aircraft.”
The Philippines remains resolute in exercising its rights to enhance maritime domain awareness within its sovereign territory, national airspace, and EEZ, as well as in international waters, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award, the NTF-WPS stated.
In a previous statement, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed it took “countermeasures” against two Philippine military aircraft that allegedly entered its airspace.
“On August 22, two Philippine military aircraft trespassed into the airspace near the Nansha Islands, including Zhubi Jiao (Subi Reef), where China is stationed,” the ministry told AFP.
The ministry asserted that “the Chinese side took necessary countermeasures in accordance with the law to protect its own sovereignty and security.”
It did not elaborate on the specific measures taken, describing them as “professional, restrained, and standardized.”
“China will continue to firmly protect its own territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and firmly oppose any infringing actions,” the statement added.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada condemned the “irresponsible” use of flares during BFAR’s mission over Zamora Reef, stating that such actions put lives at risk.
Estrada, chair of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification, and Reconciliation, criticized China’s actions, stating, “Such actions are not only irresponsible but also dangerously provocative. Deploying flares multiple times at a dangerously close distance is neither professional, restrained, nor standardized, contrary to China’s claims.”
He further stated, “It’s irresponsible, a blatant violation of international law, and a direct threat to the safety of our personnel. It could have led to serious harm or even loss of lives.”
Estrada echoed the NTF-WPS’s call for China to “cease these unlawful and extreme actions immediately” and urged the international community to hold China accountable for its “reckless actions.”