A Chinese military helicopter flew dangerously close to an aircraft of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) while the latter was conducting a maritim domain awareness flight over Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) in Zambales on Tuesday, Feb. 18.

The BFAR plane was carrying personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and members of the media when it was approached by a People's Liberation Army - Navy (PLA-N) helicopter with tail number "68" at 8:39 a.m., said Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Tarriela said the Chinese helicopter performed "dangerous flight maneuvers" towards the BFAR aircraft to drive it away.

"The PLA-Navy helicopter came as close as three meters to the port side and above the BFAR aircraft, raising significant concerns regarding the PLA-Navy's clear violation and blatant disregard for the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) international aviation regulations," Tarriela said.

"This reckless action posed a serious risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers during the MDA flight," he added.

Bajo de Masinloc is located approximately 125 nautical miles from Zambales, within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, but it is being claimed as well by China as part of its internal waters.

A 2016 arbitral ruling already invalidated China's claims in the South China Sea but Beijing ignored the decision.

Tarriela said the PCG and BFAR remain committed to asserting the Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime jurisdiction in the WPS despite the "aggressive and escalatory actions" of China.