MANILA, Philippines – ITINUTURING ng China na isang “sheer malicious hype” ang inihayag ng Pilipinas na may dalawang Chinese fighter jet ang umikot at bumuntot sa light attack aircraft ng Pilipinas na kasama ng tropa ng Australia na nagpapatrolya sa West Philippine Sea (WPS), araw ng Lunes.
Pinabulaanan ni China spokesperson Wu Qian ang pahayag na ito ng Pilipinas.
Nauna rito, sinabi ni Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. umiikot ang mga fighter jet habang may joint patrols ang Pilipinas at Australia sa WPS.
Maliban dito, wala namang untoward incident.
“Sa taas naman sila nag-circle, but the circling happened for about 15 minutes, and our aircraft was able to finish its mission. Natapos nila ‘yung kanilang maritime air patrol in the WPS without any untoward incident,” ayon kay Brawner.
Bago pa ang insidenteng ito, may mga namataan din aniya na aircarft noong joint patrols ng Pilipinas at Amerika.
“I don’t think it’s unusual. In fact, nangyari ito this year. May of this year, when a US aircraft was also flying over the South China Sea and they also encountered Chinese PLA Air Force aircraft circling them”ayon kay Brawner.
“So, this is not the first time this happened. Nangyari na rin ito between a Japanese aircraft and a Chinese aircraft, between a US aircraft and a Chinese aircraft. This time, with our own aircraft. Mukhang ito na ‘yung nagiging taktika ng China over the South China Sea,” dagdag na wika nito.
Giit ni Brawner, lehitimo ang operasyon ng Pilipinas sa pagsasagawa ng joint patrols sa mga kaalyansa nito para i-promote ang rules-based international order.
“Actually, we don’t know what they are trying to send us, but for us, it is very clear that what we are doing are legitimate operations because we have all the right to patrol our territorial seas and our exclusive economic zone,” ani Brawner sabay sabing “That is exactly what we are doing, but this time, we are doing it with our allies and our partners.”
Matatandaang inakusahan ng China ang Pilipinas na nagsisimula ng gulo sa WPS.
Hayagan namang itinanggi ng Department of National Defense (DND) ang bagay na ito habang ang buwelta naman ng AFP, sumusunod sa international laws ang lahat ng joint patrols ng Pilipinas at ibang bansa. Kris Jose
