AFP sets aside sea row with China for plane search

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine military is setting aside the country's territorial row with China as Manila assists in the search for the Malaysia Airlines plane that went missing as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

"In times like this, where there is an emergency and a crisis, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) sets aside issues and conflicts to give way to the provision of help, humanitarian assistance for the welfare of the people," 1st Lieutenant Cherryl Tindog, AFP Western Command spokesperson, said in an interview with a state news outfit.

To help in the search for the missing plane,  Navy patrol vessels BRP Apolinario Mabini, recent acquisition BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Emilio Aguinaldo were deployed in the West Philippine Sea, which China claims part of its sovereignty.

LIVE BLOG: Search for missing Malaysian plane

Tindog said the Philippine vessels will remain in the disputed waters as long as the Malaysian government still needs support in the search and rescue operations for Boeing 777-200 jetliner.

"The directive we were given by the national government through the [Department of National Defense] is to continue in the humanitarian mission to find the missing aircraft until ... the airliner has been located," she said.

Western Command chief Gen. Roy Deveraturda has ordered the deployment of the Air Force's Fokker F-27 Friendship and Norman Britten Islander aircraft to back the Navy ships on Sunday.

The aircraft have so far made three sorties but were not able to find the Malaysian passenger plane with over 200 people onboard.

"As of this time, (there is) negative sighting yet of the missing Malaysia Airlines planes," Tindog said.

Another aircraft of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), a Lockheed C-130 "Hercules," is on standby.

On Monday, Malaysia Airlines expressed gratitude to the Philippines, Vietnam and the United States among others for offering assistance in the operations.

Read: Malaysia Airlines thanks Philippines for help in sea search