PH Navy calls Chinese choppers’ unsafe moves as unprofessional

HARASSMENT IN THE SKY This photo shared by a Philippine government source shows Chinese fighter jets making a “dangerous” move against a Philippine Air Force plane, firing flares into its path as it was flying over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal on Aug. 8.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy on Tuesday called “unprofessional” and “uncalled for” the Chinese chopper’s “unsafe maneuvers” against the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) plane conducting patrols in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

State-run People’s Television reported that a Chinese military helicopter flew as close as six meters to a BFAR plane on Saturday.

While noting that BFAR is the proper agency to issue an official statement, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, who is the navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, slammed the latest incident.

“They are unsafe maneuvers. They are uncalled for, unprofessional,” Trinidad said.

“The closer you get, the greater the potential for any untoward incident which is what we would like to prevent in the entire West Philippine Sea,” he continued. “Actions like this have no place in the aviation industry.”

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Last month, China used flares against Philippine aircraft three times.

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On Aug, 22, flares were fired from China-occupied Zamora (Subi) Reef and targeted BFAR’s Cessna 208B Grand Caravan plane. This same BFAR plane also encountered flares during its patrol in Panatag Shoal last Aug. 19.

READ: PH fighter jet patrols West Philippine Sea, tests flare maneuvers

And for the first time, two Chinese fighter jets shot flares into the path of the Philippine Air Force’s NC-212i plane and made “dangerous maneuvers” during the patrols in the Panatag Shoal last August 8.

In response to this, the Armed Forces of the Philippines practiced its flare capabilities in the West Philippine Sea, according to military chief General Romeo Brawner Jr.