PH security exec wants pact with China to prevent 'hostile' acts in airspace

MANILA — A national security official on Tuesday urged the nation's maritime security group to propose an agreement with China that would prevent "hostile" acts over the airspace of the West Philippine Sea after the latter "endangered" Filipino troops with its use of flares over a shoal in the Philippine sovereign waters.

The maritime security council will meet later this week to discuss Beijing's dangerous use of flares last week in the path of a Philippine Air Force aircraft conducting a routine patrol over the Scarborough Shoal, located off Zambales in Luzon.

Philippines protests China’s flare use vs plane

The council "could probably consider entering into some form of guidelines for air military encounters," National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said on ANC.

He said his proposed new agreement with China on the airspace is meant to "lessen provocation" and prevent Beijing from behaving in a manner that "could be considered as a hostile act by the military."

He noted that the defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations adopted in 2018, in principle, "a multilateral set of guidelines for air military encounters" that enhances safety "in light of the projected increased military and civilian traffic in the region."

"For example, in the case of the air incident over the Bajo de Masinloc, the use of flares is not standard among friendly nations. So the use of flares in the flight path of a Philippine Air Force aircraft could be considered a hostile act," he said.

The proposed agreement would "prevent misunderstanding and miscommunication during flight," Malaya said, adding that the Scarborough Shoal incident was not China's first encounter with other air forces.

"There are experiences in the past that we could take a look at that can be considered when we possibly discuss such an agreement with" China, he said.

His suggestion, if adopted by the maritime council and agreed upon by China, would be the latest in a wave of agreements between the two countries aimed at de-escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea, even as the Philippines steps up defense deals with other countries.

The Philippines and China recently agreed to increase the number of communication channels between them to resolve maritime disagreements. 

They also struck an accord regarding resupply missions for Filipino troops stationed at BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

The West Philippine Sea is part of the larger South China Sea, most of which is still being claimed by Beijing despite an international ruling invalidating its assertions.

READ: Marcos: Philippines 'cannot yield, waver' on West PH Sea despite resupply deal with China