Lacson questions landing of Chinese military plane on PH soil

The Philippines might end up a colony of China if a hundred of Beijing’s military aircraft would be allowed to land and refuel simultaneously in the country, Senator Panfilo Lacson warned on Monday.

“What if, a hundred Chinese military aircrafts suddenly request to refuel simultaneously in NAIA, Mactan Airport, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Clark? We might all wake up a colony again, this time by China,” he said in a text message.

“That is why, the defense department should have the final say whether to approve or reject such request. There are security implications,” added Lacson, who was former police chief.

The senator was responding to reports that the Chinese aircraft that landed at the Davao International Airport for refueling over the weekend had received clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

Lacson pointed out that “strict internationally accepted standard protocols” must be complied with before a state aircraft, specially a foreign military aircraft, could even be allowed to enter the country’s airspace.

“For one, a request through proper diplomatic channels is made beforehand, and the same is forwarded to the defense department who will either approve or reject such request,” he said.

If these protocols were followed by the Chinese military aircraft, he said, there was no reason why concerned government officials should not make public the request.

“Being silent or vague on this issue will only raise more questions,” said Lacson.

“If such protocol was not observed, and worse, if our concerned officials were not even aware until such Chinese military aircraft had already landed, then, we acted like a province of China rather than an independent and sovereign state,” he further said.

But Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go earlier said the request for landing and refueling of the Ilyushin II 76 had been properly coordinated and cleared by the Department of National Defense, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the CAAP.

“The landing was requested for the specific purpose of refueling and was granted and given with specific conditions for compliance by the requesting party,” Go was quoted as saying in media reports. /je

READ: China military plane causes stir