1 hour ago
5
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
MANILA, Philippines — In yet another display of “coercive and aggressive actions,” Chinese fighter jets intercepted a Philippine aircraft patrolling Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc last week, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confirmed yesterday.
The AFP said the action by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force aims to weaken the Philippines’ resolve in patrolling and protecting its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
AFP spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, retired rear admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said a J-10 trainer aircraft intercepted a Philippine maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight over Panatag Shoal on Sept. 2.
“Regular maritime air patrol domain awareness flights were conducted over Bajo de Masinloc. They were intercepted by fighter aircraft from the PLA Air Force or the PLA Navy,” he told reporters at a press briefing yesterday.
“In one instance, the crosshairs (gunsights) of the fighter aircraft had our aircraft on it and this was released in the South China Morning Post and the Global Times addressing the internal audience,” he noted.
“These are coercive and aggressive actions designed to show that they have control over the situation over the area. It is designed to weaken our resolve to keep performing our mandate. It is designed to show that they have escalation dynamics on their side,” Trinidad added.
Despite such actions by China, he said the Philippines will not back down and will continue to patrol and assert its sovereign rights over the WPS.
“Rather than weaken our resolve, such actions will only further strengthen it. Our resolve to keep performing our mandate has never been stronger. They have not even succeeded in preventing us from performing our patrols,” he said.
“Not only will we keep performing our mandate, we will keep working with our treaty ally and other like-minded nations who have been very supportive of our stand of supporting international law, especially Japan and Australia,” Trinidad declared.
As to what actions or adjustments the AFP will take, he explained that details on how MDA flights are conducted are left to the commanders of the military’s unified commands.
Gibo slams China
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. lashed out at China yesterday after he was handed a note stating the former’s position on the WPS issue while he was answering questions at the 2026 Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) in South Korea.
“Please show some decency. Shame on you,” said Teodoro, who drew applause for answering China’s note point by point during the international forum.
“I think this is from China,” Teodoro read the note and answered each of China’s arguments, saying the move showed “disrespect” of the defense dialogue and the host country.
“China’s position on the South China Sea arbitration is clear, consistent and firm. They have no position. The arbitration violates fundamental principles of international law. So, what you signed, UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), you mean violates international law. That’s what you mean,” he said.
“The so-called award is illegal, null and void. So say you. And has no binding force. Because you don’t want to be subjected to UNCLOS,” he continued.
“China neither accepts nor recognizes the award. Of course, because you lost. And oppose it and we’ll never accept any claim or action arising from it,” Teodoro finished.
“These are words that (were) slipped to me. And there is a legal principle called res ipsa loquitur – the thing speaks for itself. How can you deal with a country in an international forum beyond the question asked to me,” he noted, referring to how he was seemingly ambushed by the note.
In his plenary remarks at the two-day event attended by international defense leaders from across regions, Teodoro talked about how the main purpose that the United Nations was created several years ago to a world war has “succeeded in that sense.”
Without specifically mentioning any country, he said the threat of conflict and actual conflict remains “but the threat of war becomes more imminent because of unconstrained and uncontrolled use of might versus right, as the adage goes.”
Teodoro said the Philippines will likewise “advocate for an international security architecture which has for its fundamental value human security, the survival of the human being, care for the human being, care for human rights, care for health, care for freedom from dangers of natural calamities, educational opportunities for mutual understanding under a regime of freedom of thought, freedom of speech and not state-sponsored lies and state-sponsored brainwashing.”
Teodoro underscored the need to build an international security architecture with human security at its core as he discussed the Philippines’ perspective on building a “Collaborative Architecture for International Stability.”
Joined by South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Czech Republic Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Jaromír Z?na, he echoed their observations on “the whole gamut of conflicts facing the world at present, which is exacerbated by the existence of devastating natural calamities.”
Marcos Jr. : Promote awareness
President Marcos called on Filipinos to promote awareness on the Philippines’ rights and entitlements to its waters as the nation observes the Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month.
September has been declared Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month through Proclamation 316 issued in 2017.
Marcos said this year’s observance, held alongside the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, “offers a timely occasion to uphold, affirm and reiterate our country’s lawful rights and entitlements.”
“Defending what is ours demands our solidarity as a people and a firm national resolve,” he said.
“To every Filipino, rest assured that we will remain resolute in protecting our waters and safeguarding the future of our Bagong Pilipinas,” he said.
Pacific nations
The Philippines underscored its keen interest to work closely with Pacific nations on critical maritime issues, sea-level rise response and the promotion and adherence to UNCLOS.
The country reaffirmed its Pacific affinity and kinship while highlighting closer collaboration with fellow Pacific nations during the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting (55PIFLM) held in Koror, Palau from Aug. 30 to Sept. 4.
The Philippine delegation emphasized the mutual commitment to strong maritime governance in adherence to international law, particularly the UNCLOS.
Marcos designated Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim of the Department of Foreign Affairs as special envoy to the forum, which gathered the leaders of 18 Pacific nations – Australia, Cook Islands, Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Naoero, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu – as well as the PIF Secretariat.
Philippines, Canada meet
Defense officials of the Philippines and Canada met yesterday to explore ways to advance their bilateral defense cooperation.
Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary for Information Systems and Cybersecurity Fabian Pedregosa met with Senior Associate Deputy Minister of National Defense Kevin Brosseau on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue.
Following the Senate concurrence on the Philippine-Canada Status of Visiting Forces Agreement this year, the two sides expressed their optimism for Canada’s participation in bilateral exercises, as well as multilateral engagements with other SOVFA partners like the United States, Japan and Australia. – Helen Flores, Pia Lee-Brago
