Plane-Spotting: Photos to Keep Tabs on China’s Incursion in PH Waters

Screengrab from Inquirer.net

CHEERS TO the Philippine Daily Inquirer and GMA-7 for keeping track of the continuing Chinese activity in the West Philippine Sea through photos (See: “Inquirer Photos Cannot Lie”).

On April 18, the Inquirer reported that two Chinese military aircrafts have been photographed on Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, one of the seven reefs but which China has continued to build on in the Spratlys.  Panganiban Reef is one of the three reefs with a finished runway, along with Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef and Zamora (Subi) Reef, all in the area declared as Philippine sovereign territory. The surveillance photos were given to the Inquirer by an unidentified “source”.

The Inquirer also interviewed knowledgeable sources who helped interpret what the presence of the planes means. Both experts, Collin Koh, a research fellow at Singapore-based Rajaratnam School of International Studies’ Maritime Security Program, and Prof. Jay Batongbacal, director of the UP Institute of Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said that China’s use of military planes may normalize militarization of the area.  Koh and Batongbacal also said the Philippines should watch out for fighter jets and bombers (“China military planes land on PH reef”).

GMA-7’s 24 Oras used the same photos, which were given by a “source” to Rommel Banlaoi, Executive Director of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism. Banlaoi said China’s militarization may be used against the United States to assert “predominant power” in Asia. The report included the response of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano to the issue: The DFA has submitted the photos to the Armed Forces of the Philippines for verification, claiming that they are taking “diplomatic action” (“2 military transport plane ng China, nasa Panganiban Reef umano ayon sa litrato”).

Given the exaggerated conciliatory position the Philippines has taken towards the China, the Inquirer and GMA-7 has called public attention to the violation of the country’s territorial sovereignty and to the potential perils that China poses to national security.

Whether other media will take the same interest in this national question remains to be seen. There are many other approaches to keep this issue alive in the news. Hopefully, other media organizations will work on finding their own leads to explore what is of unquestioned national interest.