Manila Bulletin
Philippines
National
Imee Marcos: Gov't should monitor entry of US planes, Chinese ships into PH territory equally
Philippines
National
Imee Marcos: Gov't should monitor entry of US planes, Chinese ships into PH territory equally
Imee Marcos: Gov't should monitor entry of US planes, Chinese ships into PH territory equally
Published Jul 9, 2023 06:29 am
Senator Imelda “Imee” Marcos on Sunday, July 9, called on the government to equally monitor the entry of American aircraft and Chinese vessels into Philippine territory in order to assuage the already tense situation in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
Senator Imee Marcos (Senate PRIB Photo)
Marcos, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, made the call as she questioned the presence of yet more C-17 Globemasters of the U.S. Air Force in Manila and Palawan. The senator’s office earlier released a statement acknowledging the US’ Embassy’s explanation with regards to a US military aircraft’s arrival in Manila last week, that US flight planners failed to coordinate beforehand with ground handlers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Marcos, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s sister, said global flight tracker AirNav Systems revealed that at 6:03 a.m. on Friday, a U.S. Air Force C-17 with flight code MC244 / RCH244 landed in Manila after leaving the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, then flew to Palawan before 1 p.m. and headed for Yokota Air Base in the city of Fussa, Japan later in the afternoon. Even though the plane's call signal was repeatedly out of coverage during its journey, flight tracker Flightradar24 recorded its departure from Palawan shortly before 4 p.m., Manila time, and its arrival at Yokota Air Base at around 9:30 p.m., Japan time. The route from Palawan showed the plane passing over Pampanga, Cagayan, and off the eastern coasts of Batanes and Taiwan before it landed at the Yokota Air Base. According to the senator’s office, passengers on commercial flights to and from NAIA noticed two U.S. military planes near the runway and shared photos with her office. Also, on Saturday, July 8, a C-17 that took off from Tokyo the night before with flight code RCH323 was spotted north of Busuanga past 10 a.m. and was off the radar until late afternoon when it again appeared in the same vicinity flying toward Polillo Island before exiting the Philippine territory past 6 p.m. “Too little is known about ongoing U.S. military activity in our territory while we constantly call out the presence of Chinese vessels in the South China Sea,” Marcos noted. "I am aware of ongoing exercises with foreign militaries this month. But the same zeal in tracking any violations in our maritime territory and EEZ (exclusive economic zone) must also apply where Philippine air traffic rules and joint military agreements with the U.S. are concerned,” the lawmaker said. At the same time, she urged the military, defense, and foreign affairs officials to determine if covert U.S. military flights aggravated the situation in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait and to weigh the risks to public safety.
Senator Imee Marcos (Senate PRIB Photo)
Marcos, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, made the call as she questioned the presence of yet more C-17 Globemasters of the U.S. Air Force in Manila and Palawan. The senator’s office earlier released a statement acknowledging the US’ Embassy’s explanation with regards to a US military aircraft’s arrival in Manila last week, that US flight planners failed to coordinate beforehand with ground handlers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Marcos, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s sister, said global flight tracker AirNav Systems revealed that at 6:03 a.m. on Friday, a U.S. Air Force C-17 with flight code MC244 / RCH244 landed in Manila after leaving the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, then flew to Palawan before 1 p.m. and headed for Yokota Air Base in the city of Fussa, Japan later in the afternoon. Even though the plane's call signal was repeatedly out of coverage during its journey, flight tracker Flightradar24 recorded its departure from Palawan shortly before 4 p.m., Manila time, and its arrival at Yokota Air Base at around 9:30 p.m., Japan time. The route from Palawan showed the plane passing over Pampanga, Cagayan, and off the eastern coasts of Batanes and Taiwan before it landed at the Yokota Air Base. According to the senator’s office, passengers on commercial flights to and from NAIA noticed two U.S. military planes near the runway and shared photos with her office. Also, on Saturday, July 8, a C-17 that took off from Tokyo the night before with flight code RCH323 was spotted north of Busuanga past 10 a.m. and was off the radar until late afternoon when it again appeared in the same vicinity flying toward Polillo Island before exiting the Philippine territory past 6 p.m. “Too little is known about ongoing U.S. military activity in our territory while we constantly call out the presence of Chinese vessels in the South China Sea,” Marcos noted. "I am aware of ongoing exercises with foreign militaries this month. But the same zeal in tracking any violations in our maritime territory and EEZ (exclusive economic zone) must also apply where Philippine air traffic rules and joint military agreements with the U.S. are concerned,” the lawmaker said. At the same time, she urged the military, defense, and foreign affairs officials to determine if covert U.S. military flights aggravated the situation in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait and to weigh the risks to public safety.