PH files protests vs 5 Chinese flare incidents in Spratlys

The country has filed diplomatic protests against China for firing flares at least five times to ward off Philippine military aircraft patrolling over the West Philippine Sea (WPS), National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said on Friday.

“I recall an incident last June when flares, not gunshots, or any calibre [of firearms] were fired at an Armed Forces of the Philippine aircraft patrolling the Union Banks (locally called Pagkakaisa Banks and Reefs),” said Esperon, who also chairs the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea.

The AFP Western Command (Westcom), which oversees the WPS, recorded a total of five incidents in June where China shot flares at Philippine military planes conducting patrols in the WPS.

Lt. Col. Bill Pasia of AFP Westcom said the flares were fired from Chinese outposts in the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands).

He specified that flares were fired at Philippine aircraft once over Chigua (McKennan) Reef on June 16, twice on June 22 in Calderon (Cuarteron) Reef, once on June 22 on Burgos (Gaven) Reef and once on Mabini (Johnson) Reef again on June 22.

Aside from flare warnings, the Chinese Navy also harassed Philippine vessels by sending out radio challenges, ordering them to leave the area as they were approaching “military alert zone.”

“As part of China’s assertiveness, while we are patrolling the West Philippine Sea, our [intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance] team has been consistently receiving radio challenges from Chinese Navy or reefs during routine flight patrols,” Pasia said.

As of August 2021, AFP Westcom received 218 challenges issued by China against Philippine military assets in WPS.

At Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, there were 34 challenges; Burgos, 32; Kagitingan (Fiery Cross), 29; Zamora (Subi) Reef, 28; Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, 21; Chigua, 23; Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef, 16; Pag-asa Island, 14; Sincowe East Island, five; Calderon, four; Mabini, four; Panata Island (Loaita Cay), four; and Roxas (Collins) Reef, four.

Esperon said there were at least four Chinese coast guard vessels in each of the features in WPS.

United States-based geospatial imagery firm Simularity in its report this week said that more than 80 Chinese vessels, believed to be part of the Chinese maritime militia, had moved out of the WPS.

Between June and July 12, there were 234 foreign ships within the Philippine exclusive economic zone. From Aug. 1 to 18, there were only 146 ships left, according to Simularity.

Esperon said officials continued to be vigilant and protest any acts that violate the Philippines’ sovereign or sovereign rights.