A People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) helicopter executed a dangerous flight maneuver toward a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft over Panatag Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) on Tuesday morning.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela, said the PLA-N helicopter, bearing tail number 68, recklessly flew close to the BFAR aircraft at around 8:39 a.m., posing “a serious risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers during the MDA flight.”
The BFAR plane was conducting a maritime domain awareness flight over Panatag Shoal, accompanied by PCG personnel and photojournalists, Tarriela said.
He added that the PLA-Navy helicopter came as close as three meters to the port (left) side and above the BFAR aircraft, raising significant concerns over the PLA-Navy’s “clear violation and blatant disregard for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) international aviation regulations.”
“The PCG and BFAR remain committed to asserting our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea, despite the aggressive and escalatory actions of China,” Tarriela stated.
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