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Shooting of PH military plane in WPS could trigger World War 3 or loss of US prestige - Locsin

Philippines | National

Shooting of PH military plane in WPS could trigger World War 3 or loss of US prestige - Locsin

By Roy Mabasa

Shooting down a Philippine military aircraft in the West Philippine Sea could end in either of two things: start of World War 3 or end of the prestige of the United States as a superpower and policeman of the world, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Wednesday.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. (File photo via PNA)

Locsin was reacting to reports that a Philippines military aircraft received warnings from a Chinese fleet when it flew over the Julian Felipe Reef to check the presence of Chinese vessels in an area that is considered way within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“If they had shot down our military aircraft two things would happen: World War 3 or the end of US prestige. Simple as that. A small Filipino aircraft can cause the end of this part of the world which would be small loss compared to dishonor. Life without honor is for insects,” Locsin said in a tweet.

During a routine maritime patrol on Tuesday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines confirmed in multiple reports that the Chinese fleet currently lingering at the West Philippine Sea reportedly demanded a Philippine military aircraft to “leave immediately” while it was hovering over Julian Felipe Reef.

In a separate report, the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) reported what it described as continuing unlawful presence or swarming of Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM) which have remained in Julian Felipe Reef and are also scattered in other areas in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) which is under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Kalayaan, Palawan.

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