MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government should file new charges before the international court and make China accountable for the recent air incident involving the Philippine Air Force, Senator Risa Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros has called on the Marcos Jr. administration to start working on the filing of another round of legal cases before an international court.
“Not only is China keeping our waters hostage, she has also started to encroach on our skies. These are clear and unacceptable violations of international law,” she said.
Reports indicate that a Philippine Air Force (PAF) aircraft, an NC-212i light transport plane, encountered eight rounds of flares fired by Chinese fighter jets last August 8, which allegedly flew at a “very close” distance.
China has justified the use of flares, claiming that the PAF aircraft “illegally” entered the airspace over Huangyan Dao, the Chinese designation for Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
Hontiveros said that Beijing should be held accountable for any injuries to personnel or damage to equipment that may result from the incident.
President Marcos Jr. on Sunday condemned the actions of two Chinese Air Force aircraft that harassed a Philippine Air Force (PAF) plane over the country’s territorial waters near Bajo de Masinloc.
“The actions of the People’s Liberation Army-Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft were unjustified, illegal, and reckless, especially as the PAF aircraft was undertaking a routine maritime security operation in Philippine sovereign airspace,” Marcos said.
The President voiced concern that the latest aerial confrontations could jeopardize attempts to ease tensions between the Philippines and China.
