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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Chinese forces fire flares at PCG aircraft over West PH Sea

Chinese forces fire flares at PCG aircraft over West PH Sea

Published Apr 9, 2026 08:55 pm
Screenshot from PCG video
Screenshot from PCG video
Chinese forces fired flares directly at the aircraft of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) while it was conducting maritime patrol over the Kalayaan Island Group on Thursday afternoon, April 9.
The incident, which happened as the country observes Araw ng Kagitingan or Valor Day, was the latest of the harassments conducted by China in asserting its sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a claim which was rejected by a United Nations tribunal in 2016.
Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, described the latest incident as a clear and deliberate act of bullying, “These reckless and aggressive actions by China represent yet another escalation in their campaign of intimidation and harassment.”
“By targeting unarmed PCG aircraft with flares, Beijing is not only violating established international aviation safety norms and the spirit of regional peace but is also directly endangering the lives of personnel on board,” he added.
Tarriela said the incident occurred specifically at Panganiban Reef and Zamora Reefs.
During that time, he said the PCG aircraft was operating to monitor maritime activities over the areas.
Aside from firing flares, Tarriela said Chinese forces also issued radio transmissions during the incidents and claimed “indisputable sovereignty” over the areas.
Citing the UN tribunal decision, Tarriela said such claims have no basis in international law, adding that it was China which even militarized the area by putting up bases through reclamation.
“They serve only to mask China’s expansionist agenda and repeated violations of international law.

Related Tags

West Philippine Sea PCG Kalayaan Island Group Jay Tarriela
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