‘Pinoy pilots ready to die for WPS’

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino pilots are ready to die asserting the country’s sovereignty, Malacañang said yesterday after a Philippine plane flying near a Chinese-built artificial island in the West Philippine Sea defied warnings from the Chinese military.

London-based British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) has released a video showing a Philippine military aircraft receiving warnings from the Chinese military.

The Philippine aircraft, which appeared to be patrolling near China’s man-made islands, was asked to “leave immediately” or “bear the responsibility for all the consequences.”

The warning was picked up by a US military plane flying near the area, according to BBC.

The Chinese military also demanded that the US plane leave the area because China “has sovereignty over the Nansha (Spratly) Islands and adjacent waters.”

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said he has not received information about the incident but claimed that the refusal of the Philippine plane to heed the warning was “good news.”

“Investigation will be conducted, but if the information is true, the good news is our pilots were unfazed. They were intimated but they were not intimidated. They continued flying because we have a territory there,” Roque said at a Palace press briefing.

Asked about China’s claim that it has sovereignty over the Spratly group which it calls Nansha, Roque replied, “Well, the Philippine pilots continued their flights. They disregarded that. They will not stop us. We will continue with our flights. We will assert our sovereignty. And if need be Filipino pilots will die for our sovereignty,” he added.

Pressed on China’s threatening the Filipino pilot, Roque replied: “Tatanungin ko po kung totoo iyan. At kung totoo iyan itatanong ko iyong piloto kung minura niya (I will ask whether that’s true. And if it’s true I will ask the pilot if he cursed at the one giving the warning).”