DOTC: Up to airlines to comply with China’s ADIZ

TOKYO (via Smart/PLDT) – It’s up to Philippine carriers to submit flight plans to Chinese authorities enforcing an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea, according to Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya.

“Logically, we could surmise that commercial airlines on their own would gladly comply because the natural course of business, once a notice to airmen by a certain country would be issued, is merely to comply because any way, any aircraft would file its flight plan with all the details that goes with it for a place of destination,” Abaya said. 

“Upon receipt of that pronouncement by China, CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) had a session with the stakeholders, basically our airlines. They were not directed to comply or not comply,” Abaya said.

“On the government side, they were not compelled to comply, neither were they discouraged but merely left on their own to go by the existing policies and rules,” Abaya pointed out.

President Aquino expressed hopes that China would consider enhancing relations with neighbors instead of creating tensions for the sake of its stability and prosperity.

“The key to China’s stability is to keep its people prosperous, then the things that will enhance trade amongst all nations would be something that they would want to foster,” he said.

“If there is a chorus that says you are creating a situation that...presents instability or heightens tensions, that is not conducive to trade. So that is I think realistic ways that ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and Japan in this summit can come up with,” Aquino said.

But he pointed out ASEAN was based on consensus and an agreement could be reached only if “everybody says yes.”

“Even if one objects, there is no statement to that effect,” he said ahead of the 40th ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit here.

But Aquino said the Philippines would still speak up just like what it did in Cambodia, which did not agree to Manila’s advocacies on the West Philippine Sea, even as member of ASEAN and host of the summit at that time.

“Cambodia was the host of the ASEAN summit when we objected to certain items or lack of items in the statement and I think we managed to prove our point there,” he said.

“I think it will be presumptuous on my part to talk for all many other member countries,” he added.

He also said China should not change the rules of the game with its enforcement of an ADIZ.

“You are changing the rules of the game. Does that solve anything or does that increase tensions? And we think and we believe, it increases tension and that should not be an act by any state at this point in time when there are already heightened tensions,” he said.