China challenges aircraft of senators bound for Pag-asa Island

KALAYAAN, PALAWAN—China issued a radio challenge Thursday to a private aircraft carrying Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, and Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito before landing at Pag-asa Island.

The three lawmakers visited the largest island in the Kalayaan Island Group for the groundbreaking of a new barracks inside the Emilio Liwanag Naval Station and a Super Rural Health Unit in this municipality.

The same radio challenge was also received by a Philippine Air Force plane carrying a group of journalists who covered the senators' visit.

"'Yung pag-landing namin kanina meron nang mga verbal challenges and it's so sad na nandito tayo sa loob ng ating bansa, teritoryo ng Pilipinas ito, tapos sinasabihan ka, umalis ka dito kasi ito ay teritoryo ng Tsina. Talagang nakakagulat, ano. Nakaka-alarma at nakakagalit," Zubiri said in an interview with reporters.

(Verbal challenges were issued as we were landing earlier. It's so sad that we are here in our country, within Philippine territory, then we are told to leave because it's a territory of China. It's both alarming and infuriating.)

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., who joined the senators in their visit to the island, said it is China's "SOP" or standard operating procedure to issue a verbal challenge whenever an aircraft surrounds the Pag-asa Island.

During the visit, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel and several Chinese militia vessels were spotted some three to four nautical miles off Pag-asa Island.

The lawmakers themselves saw the Chinese vessels through a telescope installed at the naval station.

According to Naval Forces West Commander Commodore Alan Javier, there are currently 22 Chinese militia vessels, two China Coast Guard vessels, and one People's Liberation Army vessel in the vicinity.

Javier said this was the "normal" number of Chinese vessels spotted by Filipino forces.

On the other hand, Javier said the current Philippine deployment near Pag-asa Island consists of a Navy ship and a Philippine Coast Guard vessel.

After seeing the China's vessels near the island, Zubiri, in his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony, called on the Chinese to back off from the Philippine territory.

"Gusto ko lang po sabihin kung nakikinig sila, ito po ay teritoryo ng Republika ng Pilipinas. Di po inyo ito… Bago pa dumating si Magellan, atin na po ito. Kaya kung puwede, lumayas na kayo," Zubiri said.

(I want to say to them—in case they are listening—this is the territory of the Republic of the Philippines. This is not yours... Even before Magellan arrived, this was already ours. So, please leave.)

The same call was echoed by Villanueva and Ejercito. — VDV, GMA Integrated News