Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the incident involving a Chinese air asset in Bajo de Masinloc demonstrates China’s disregard for international law, dependability, and reliability.
“They have not been a credible citizen of the world, so to speak, and that’s the Chinese Communist Party. Their expansionism, their disregard of safety, and their disregard of the rights, particularly of smaller states, is now patent and for the world to see,” Teodoro told reporters at Wallace Air Station in San Fernando City, La Union.
Teodoro also stated that the Philippines’ alliance-building activities are being expedited.
“We really need to interoperate and to band together to prevent a redefinition of international law and the world order by the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.
Earlier, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) helicopter, tail number 68, approached a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft within three meters.
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Commodore Jay Tarriela, described this as the “most dangerous” action taken by the Chinese military to date.
He stated that the Chinese helicopter’s maneuver posed a significant risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers and violated International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulations.
In response, the PLA Southern Theater Command accused the Philippines of spreading “false narratives” about the incident.