40 Chinese radio challenges greet BFAR plane at Panatag
MANILA, Philippines — An air patrol by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) faced 40 radio challenges from Chinese ships and aircraft at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal on Friday.
The West Philippine Sea Transparency Office of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the BFAR plane conducted the maritime domain awareness (MDA) over the shoal.
The aircraft, a Cessna Caravan, received 34 radio challenges from a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) vessel and six from a Chinese military aircraft, the PCG said, adding that the pilot responded professionally even as he emphasized to the encroaching Chinese that they were in Philippine waters.
READ: Panatag ‘reserve’ a threat to PH fishers’ livelihood
Floating barriers
Panatag Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, is located some 220 kilometers away from Luzon in the West Philippine Sea, well within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
Much of that area remains occupied by Beijing after a 2012 standoff with the Philippine Navy.
The BFAR plane also observed several Chinese Coast Guard ships operating as close as one nautical mile into the shoal and three buoys illegally installed in those waters, one in the northwest.
In October, the PCG found a yellow buoy installed at the northern tip of the shoal during an MDA flight at that time. The Philippine Navy also spotted floating barriers near the shoal during a maritime inspection.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said then that China placed floating barriers in areas where it found a high number of Filipino fishermen and Philippine vessels.
‘Focus on our jobs’
A Chinese fighter jet flew near the southeastern approach, while an unidentified PLA-N helicopter was seen west of the shoal. PLA-N warships 553 and 165 were spotted further south.
BFAR said the air patrol was completed safely.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, told reporters on Friday: “We are still focusing our attention on this patriotic duty. With regard to the domestic politics, it’s not something that we need to meddle in.”
“For us, this is our sworn duty, so we are just going to focus on our jobs,” he said.
