MANILA, MAY 21, 2011 (STAR) By Jaime Laude - Chinese jet fighters reportedly buzzed two Philippine Air Force (PAF) planes on a routine reconnaissance patrol on Thursday last week at the vicinity of the Kalayaan Island Group, which is part of the disputed Spratlys.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. said yesterday that the military is still validating the report, but sources have confirmed the recent intrusion into Philippine air space by Chinese jet fighters.
"We are validating reports pertinent to that," Oban told journalists after attending a forum sponsored by the government-run Philippine Information Agency at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
He said if verified, the AFP would not view the incident as an act of bullying or provocation on the part of the Chinese, saying that the matter could be addressed through diplomatic channels.
Oban stressed that this would not deter the AFP from enforcing its mandate to patrol the country's skies and territorial waters.
He said the air patrols are intended to protect the nation's territorial integrity as well as its maritime resources against violators of the country's maritime laws.
A military source said that two OV-10 Broncos were on a routine reconnaissance patrol over the Kalayaan Islands when two Chinese MIG-29 Fulcrums appeared and buzzed over the two PAF planes.
"That incident happened on Thursday last week over the Reed Bank Basin," the source said.
Another source said that the two OV-10 planes initially monitored two unidentified intruding fighter jets.
While the pilots wanted to challenge the intruders, they had to back off and maintain their course as their planes do not have the capability to engage the Chinese jets.
The two Chinese planes then flew closer towards the two OV-10s.
Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, commander of the Palawan-based Western Command (Wescom), did not return calls and text messages seeking to confirm or deny the recent air encounter.
Two months ago, two Chinese gunboats harassed a Philippine research vessel commissioned by the Department of Energy (DOE) while conducting studies also at the Reed Bank.
The Reed Bank is well within Philippine territory and Navy gunboats were deployed to secure the DOE research vessel M/V Venture.
Reed Bank is within the country's 320 kilometers exclusive economic zone, but the area is also being claimed by China and Vietnam.
This area is part of the Kalayaan Island Group that is being claimed by the Philippines in the disputed Spratlys.
The Spratly Islands are being claimed in whole or in part by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan.
Initial exploration of the Reed Bank by the DOE revealed that the area contains about 3.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 440 million barrels of oil.
The two white-colored Chinese gunboats with the markings No. 71 and No. 75 tried to drive away the DOE research vessel from the Reed Bank.
The incident prompted the Philippine government to file a diplomatic protest but this was simply dismissed by the Chinese government, saying the area is their territory.
The Chinese embassy in Manila declined yesterday to comment on the report that Chinese jet fighters buzzed over two PAF near the Kalayaan Island Group.
Ethan Sun, deputy chief of political section and spokesperson of the embassy, said the report was still being verified.
"I can't comment on the report that's being verified," Sun said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) summoned in March the Chinese ambassador and lodged a diplomatic protest against the harassment of a vessel owned by the Department of Energy by two Chinese Navy gunboats while conducting maritime research off the disputed Spratly Islands.
On the other hand, the Chinese air intrusion happened three days before the US Strike Carrier Group I headed by nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson dropped anchor at Manila Bay for a regular port call.
In a sponsored dinner aboard the Carl Vinson, the vessel where the last rites for slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden were conducted when the carrier was in the Arabian Sea recently, US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. gave assurance that his government is ready to stand by the Philippines if the country's security is threatened.
"We do not even know if the sudden swing of USS Carl Vinson in the country has something to do with last Thursday's incident in the South China Sea," a military official said.
Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., AFP Public Information Office (PIO) chief, said the Philippines is a 58-year-old mutual defense partner of the US and as such, both have long maintained force readiness and interoperability.
"The mutual support and assistance both countries provide to each other contributes largely to strengthening our capabilities as military institutions," Burgos said.
Burgos said that the Philippines and the US have enjoyed a long-time friendship, a relationship further bolstered by the Mutual Defense Treaty that mandates the US and the Philippines to come and protect each other in the event of external threat or aggression.
Earlier, AFP spokesman Commodore Jose Miguel Rodriguez described the visit of the USS Carl Vinson as a long-approved routine port call.
He also said that the port call of the aircraft carrier, which is leaving today, is also in line with the ongoing US military force projection and naval diplomacy in the region.
Meanwhile, the State Councilor and Minister of National Defense of China will arrive in Manila for a five-day official goodwill visit beginning tomorrow upon the invitation of the Philippine government, the Chinese Embassy said yesterday.
At the invitation of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Gen. Liang Guanglie will head a delegation for an official goodwill visit to the Philippines from 21 to 25 May 2011.
During his visit, Liang will call President Aquino and hold talks with Gazmin.
"The visit is expected to further advance China-Philippines friendly relations, specifically military exchanges and pragmatic cooperation, thus enriching and enhancing the strategic and cooperative relationship between our two countries," the Embassy said.
The Philippines is the third leg of Liang's Southeast Asia trip, which started from 15 May.
Liang visited Singapore and Indonesia as the guest of Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Teo Chee Hean and Indonesian Minister of Defense Purnomo Yusgiantoro. With Pia Lee-Brago
Palace in no hurry to file China protest By Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star) Updated May 21, 2011 12:00
Manila, Philippines - The government will not rush into filing a diplomatic protest against China, as authorities are still further verifying reports of the intrusion of Chinese fighter jets into Philippine-claimed areas in the Spratly Islands, Malacañang said yesterday.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte told a press briefing that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was working to get complete details of the incident.
She issued the statement as the Philippines prepared to welcome China's defense minister, Liang Guanglie, who arrives today for a five-day visit.
Two Chinese jet fighters reportedly buzzed two Philippine Air Force (PAF) OV-10 Broncos on a routine reconnaissance patrol on Thursday last week in the vicinity of the Kalayaan Island Group, which the Philippines is claiming in the Spratlys.
The AFP said it is validating the report, but reliable sources have confirmed the incident.
Valte acknowledged that the report highlighted the need to speed up the modernization of the AFP.
"Even before this development, you all know we have been undertaking steps to modernize our military," Valte said. "You all know our limitations when it comes to equipmen. But then again we have always stood firm in what we believe is ours."
Valte said this was the reason why President Aquino had ordered the allocation of more funds to build up the capabilities of the military in defending the country's territory.
AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. said the military does not have the detection and monitoring capability to check if the Chinese fighter jets indeed intruded into Philippine airspace.
Oban admitted the AFP lacked the capability to intercept intruding fighter jets.
Oban noted the two PAF OV-10 pilots wanted to challenge the Chinese intruder jets but realized they have no capability to engage, so they simply maintained their course.
Valte added there was no need at this point to seek help from the country's foreign allies to check what actually transpired.
Defense spokesman Eduardo Batac said they are still awaiting reports from the AFP on the incident.
"We have to wait for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to confirm that. It's not us who are deployed there but the military. There is an order from the AFP chief to first check and verify what really happened," Batac said.
AFP spokesman Commodore Miguel Jose Rodriguez also said the incident is being checked out but reiterated the need to develop the AFP's capability to detect and monitor intruders in the country's airspace.
Rodriguez agreed with the observations that the buzzing incident only highlighted the need for the AFP to upgrade its capability to protect the country's maritime resources.
Air Force spokesman Col. Ernesto Okol said the PAF is still validating the report.
Military sources revealed the two OV-10 Broncos were buzzed by Chinese jet fighters over the Reed Bank Basin, where ongoing oil explorations are being conducted by the Philippine government in partnership with several foreign investors, including a United Kingdom-based energy and oil exploration firm.
Another official said the incident occurred over Reed Bank. However, the same official revealed the focus of the validation is now on the type of the aircraft that buzzed the PAF Broncos.
It could either be MIG-29 Fulcrums, or its look-alike, the Russian-made Sukhois, which are all in the inventory of the Chinese air force, the official pointed out.
The official said the pilots of the OV-10s initially thought the two jet fighters were civilian commercial airliners.
The PAF pilots then realized the two approaching aircraft were fighter planes.
As much as they wanted to challenge the intruders, pilots of the OV-10s did nothing provocative and simply maintained their course until the two jet fighters, which sources claimed were Chinese, buzzed over them.
"By the way, based on our latest monitoring the Chinese have no MIG-29 Fulcrums but Sukhois and the locally made fighters like the F8s, J10s and F7s. Vietnam has MIG-21s," he said.
The official said they earlier monitored plans of the Malaysian Air Force to acquire the MIG-29 Fulcrums, and around 10 of these Russian-made fighters have already been delivered to Kuala Lumpur.
According to the official, the Philippines is still struggling to acquire a trainer jet and surplus naval assets.
'Miscalculation'
A senior official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also agreed a diplomatic protest against China would not be proper unless a proper investigation of the incident was made.
"Diplomatic protest is not yet opportune, as validation of the reported incident is still underway," the DFA official said.
The Chinese embassy in Manila also declined to issue any statement.
Senior administration lawmakers urged Malacañang to immediately lodge the appropriate diplomatic action, but only after a thorough investigation of the incident.
Muntinlupa City Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, chairman of the House committee on national defense and security, said the Philippines has to identify where the jets came from.
He said the Philippines has recourse to file a diplomatic protest before the United Nations or through some other regional body by invoking the Code of Conduct that binds all claimant countries in the South China Sea.
"Unfortunately, there is no identification as to what country those jets came from," Biazon said.
"Maybe, the DND and DFA can put their heads together and try to identify from what country those jets came from," he said.
He said if the country of origin of the jet fighter could be established, then a diplomatic protest would be the appropriate action.
Biazon said the buzzing incident could have been a "miscalculation" on the part of the jet pilot or "lack of coordination."
Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez, a former national security adviser, said the incident should be thoroughly investigated to determine if indeed the country's airspace had been violated.
Golez added that if a formal protest must be filed, the Chinese ambassador should be summoned to explain the incident.
"We're not just talking about encroaching on our airspace, but buzzing, which is very dangerous and put the lives of our pilots in danger," Golez said. "These MIGs that fly at supersonic speed caused turbulence that could have sent our subsonic (OV-10) Broncos spiraling out of control."
Golez said he considered the Chinese action as "bullying or a big boy walking in a narrow alley and crowding out smaller boys."
"This (buzzing) was totally unnecessary, uncalled for, and a harassment. This was not a friendly meeting in the skies," he said.
Ang Kasangga sa Kaunlaran party-list Rep. Teodorico Haresco called for a congressional inquiry over the incident to allow Congress to come up with clear mechanisms that the executive branch should follow in dealing with similar incidents in the future.
"Such mechanisms that Congress may come up with could be helpful in maintaining stability in the South China Sea," Haresco said.
Biazon replied his committee would work "to help eliminate tensions in the area."
The incident occurred in the area covered by the Kalayaan Island Group that is being claimed by the Philippines in the disputed Spratlys.
Two months ago, two Chinese gunboats harassed a Philippine research vessel commissioned by the Department of Energy (DOE) while conducting studies also at the Reed Bank.
The Reed Bank is well within Philippine territory and Navy gunboats were deployed to secure the DOE research vessel M/V Venture.
Reed Bank is within the country's 320 kilometers exclusive economic zone, but the area is also being claimed by China and Vietnam.
The DOE said the UK-based Forum Energy had already completed a seismic survey on the Sampaguita Gas field off the Reed Bank.
Forum Energy said the location is much closer to the Philippines than China.
Initial exploration of the Reed Bank by the DOE revealed that the area contains about 3.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 440 million barrels of oil.
The two white-colored Chinese gunboats with the markings No. 71 and No. 75 tried to drive away the DOE research vessel from the Reed Bank.
The incident prompted the Philippine government to file a diplomatic protest but this was simply dismissed by the Chinese government, saying the area is their territory.
China warned in March against any oil exploration in waters it claims in the South China Sea following the Philippines' announcement of plans for possible drilling in disputed waters.
Beijing said any oil and gas exploration in the waters without its consent would be considered illegal and invalid.
China claims indisputable sovereignty over the Spratlys that they called Nansha Islands in Chinese.
Beijing advocates the shelving of differences while seeking joint development in the South China Sea.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China said the South China Sea issue is about the sovereignty and rights and interests over the Spratly Islands and the adjacent waters.
The Chinese government had stressed it adheres to the Code of Conduct that was entered into by members of the ASEAN and China to reduce tensions, peacefully resolve claims over the South China Sea and improve the general political climate in the disputed islands.
The Spratly Islands are being claimed in whole or in part by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan. – With Pia Lee-Brago, Jaime Laude, Paolo Romero
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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