MALACAÑANG on Sunday condemned the "unjustified, illegal and reckless" maneuvers of Chinese warplanes over Bajo de Masinloc Shoal last week.

In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. "strongly condemns the air incident involving the People's Liberation Army-Air Force (Plaaf) and the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

The actions of the Plaaf aircraft "were unjustified, illegal and reckless, especially as the PAF aircraft was undertaking a routine maritime security operation in Philippine sovereign airspace," the PCO said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported over the weekend that a PAF NC-212i aircraft was on routine patrol over Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, when two Plaaf aircraft "executed a dangerous maneuver" and "dropped flares in the path of our NC-212i."

AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner has said the provocative action not only endangered the lives of the PAF personnel but also "interfered with lawful flight operations in airspace within Philippine sovereignty and jurisdiction, and contravened international law and regulations governing safety of aviation."

"We have hardly started to calm the waters, and it is already worrying that there could be instability in our airspace," the PCO said, referring to dialogues between the Philippines and China that eased tensions over the resupplying of a Philippine military station in Ayungin Shoal.

"The Philippines will always remain committed to proper diplomacy and peaceful means of resolving disputes. However, we strongly urge China to demonstrate that it is fully capable of responsible action, both in the seas and in the skies," it said.

Marcos has reiterated that the Philippines "cannot yield and waver" in asserting its claims in the West Philippine Sea through diplomatic channels.

No surrender

In a radio interview on Sunday, AFP spokesman Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the military will not surrender its mandate to protect Philippine interests in the West Philippine Sea despite China's recent harassment of a PAF plane over Bajo de Masinloc, one of the flashpoints in the longstanding row between Manila and Beijing.

Padilla said the AFP will insist on the country's rights in WPS, which lies inside the 200 exclusive economic zone.

"Our pilots will continue to take to the sky and show that our air space and seas have no room for bullying. We remain steadfast in our mission to protect our territory despite their intimidation and the use of flares," Padilla said.

She said the AFP has transmitted a report of the incident to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Padilla also hinted at the possibility of increasing the sites covered by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States.

EDCA sites are designated military facilities in the country where the US can station its troops on a rotational basis.

EDCA sites have been established in Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan; Basa Air Base in Pampanga; Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija; Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro City; Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Isabela; and Balabac Island in Palawan.

Padilla said that in line with the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, "we are going to fortify our salient point as an archipelago. We will look at how to improve and expand it."

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said the provocative actions of China's air force should be met with "condemnation" from the international community.

Estrada said in a statement on Sunday the dropping of flares in the path of a PAF plane was "an affront to our sovereignty."

"They must be met with firm and decisive condemnation from the international community," said Estrada, chairman of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security.

"We urge the Chinese government to immediately stop this clear act of aggression and adhere to international law," he said.

The Philippines has always advocated for peaceful and diplomatic solutions to territorial disputes with China and the incident "undermines our efforts in de-escalating unnecessary tensions," he said.

"We will not be intimidated. We will continue to defend our sovereignty with resolve and determination while remaining committed to upholding the rule of law and promoting peace in the region," Estrada added.

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