Latest China flare harassment condemned

The National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) yesterday called on China to “immediately cease all provocative and dangerous actions” after the Chinese shot flares at a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) plane conducting maritime patrol over Zamora (Subi) Reef last Thursday.

- MICHAEL PUNONGBAYAN

The Aug. 22 incident is the third time that China harassed Philippine civilian and military aircraft in a span of 15 days.

The BFAR aircraft, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, was conducting a routine maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight on Thursday when “the PRC (People’s Republic of China) unjustifiably deployed flares from Zamora Reef” – which is within the territorial sea of Pagasa Island.

Three days earlier, on Aug. 19, the same BFAR plane faced harassment from a People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighter jet 63270 near Panatag Shoal.

The Chinese jet engaged in irresponsible and dangerous maneuvers, deploying flares multiple times at a dangerously close distance of 15 meters from the BFAR plane.

On Aug. 8, two PLAAF fighter planes also dropped flares on the flight path of a Philippine Air Force (PAF) NC-212i aircraft patrolling the skies of Panatag Shoal.