MANILA, Philippines – Hindi magpapadala ang Pilipinas ng FA-50 fighter jets nito sa West Philippine Sea.
Sa halip ay patuloy lamang umano nilang gagamitin ang patrol aircrafts, sa kabila ng pinakabagong harassment ng China sa Bajo de Masinloc.
Ayon kay Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Public Affairs Office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad, hindi layon ng Manila na pataasin ang tension, matapos na magpakawala ng flare ang dalawang Chinese air force warplanes malapit sa Philippine maritime patrol plane.
“If you are to use fighter jets, I think you have a different intention for that one. What we are doing here is our rightful maritime patrol within our exclusive economic zone. The intent is very clear: we do not intend any escalation on our part,” ani Trinidad.
Sinabi rin ni AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla na hindi episyente ang mabibilis na aircraft para sa maritime patrols.
“These are maritime patrols. ‘Yong jet, mabilis ang lipad niya. So, we cannot conduct a maritime patrol per se if sobrang bilis ng lipad ng aircraft. So, for these missions, we will still use the aircraft that we’re using currently,” sinabi ni Padilla.
Ang Philippine Air Force (PAF) ay nag-ooperate ng 12 12 FA-50PH light fighter jets. RNT/JGC
