China warships, nilabag ang NOTAM habang isinasagawa ang PH-US-France WPS exercise -Balikatan executive agent Colonel Michael Logico

Sinabi ni Balikatan executive agent Colonel Michael Logico na ang report ay ipadadala sa National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) para sa posibleng diplomatic response.

“May na-violate sila syempre,” ayon kay Logico nang tanungin kung nalabag ng Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ang NOTAM nang makita ang presensiya ng Chinese warships sa naturang lugar.

Sinabi ni Logico na inaprubahan ng Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ang NOTAM, ni-request ng Balikatan organizers para tiyakin ang kaligtasan habang isinasagawa ang maritime activity kabilang na ang gunnery exercise.

“That NOTAM is for their safety because we are also conducting gunnery exercises in the area. So for them to enter into our training area knowing fully well that we are conducting these types of activities, it was a big risk on their part for them to do that,” ayon kay Logico.

“Chinese PLAN Navy vessels with bow numbers 167 and 793 were seen during the conduct of the exercises,” dagdag na pahayag ni Logico.

Nito lamang April 22, opisyal na sinimulan ng Pilipinas at Estados Unidos ang kanilang taunang joint military exercise o Balikatan para ngayong taon.

Bilang bahagi ng Balikatan, ang mga Navy ng Pilipinas, Estados Unidos at France ay nagsagawa ng kanilang unang multilateral maritime exercise mula April 25 hanggang 29.

Nakiisa ang mga nagpartisipa sa gun exercise (GUNNEX) para sa kanilang “live-fire capabilities at communication skills.” (Daris Jose)