BFAR bombarded with Chinese radio challenges in Scarborough mission

MANILA, Philippines — A Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft conducting a mission in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal on Friday has been bombarded with radio challenges, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

The BFAR aircraft received 40 separate radio challenges, of which 34 were from a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) vessel and 6 from a Chinese military aircraft.

“The BFAR pilot professionally addressed all challenges, reinforcing Philippine sovereignty and the lawful nature of the operation while countering the Chinese maritime forces,” the PCG said in a statement. 

PLA-N’s assets like warships with bow numbers 553 and 165, as well as two of its helicopters, were spotted during the mission.

The BFAR pilot also saw the presence of several Chinese government vessels, including China Coast Guard ships with bow numbers 3303, 3502 and 3305, loitering as close as one nautical mile from the shoal.

Two Chinese floating buoys were also spotted “illegally deployed” in the area.

Nevertheless, the Filipinos completed its mission and the BFAR aircraft returned safely without incident, according to PCG.

Since its effective takeover in 2012, China has enforced what experts call an “exclusion zone enforcement” around Panatag, preventing fisherfolk access. 

Beijing claims sovereignty in almost the entire South China Sea, but Manila brought the matter to an international court, which ruled in favor of its sovereign rights in 2016.

The arbitral tribunal also declared the Panatag Shoal a traditional fishing ground for the Philippines, China and Vietnam. 

In refusal to recognize this ruling, China continued its aggressive actions there, the most notable of which occurred on Aug. 11, which led to the collision of its coast guard vessel and navy warship.

Almost a month after the collision, Beijing declared Panatag Shoal as an environmental nature reserve, a unilateral move condemned by Manila and Washington. /apl