Año rejects China's claim on PH-US joint air patrols

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año rejected China's accusation that the Philippines is stirring up trouble in the South China Sea through joint air patrols with the United States.

Año emphasized that these engagements are an exercise of the Philippines' sovereign rights, aimed at promoting maritime security and upholding international law, and are within Philippine territory.

He stated that the Philippines rejects any assertion from other countries that seeks to undermine its legal and legitimate activities.

China's military, through its Southern Theater Command, had monitored the joint patrol, calling it an act of stirring up trouble with "extraterritorial countries" and maintaining vigilance to defend national sovereignty.

Año clarified that the joint air patrol is a lawful and routine exercise, consistent with international law like the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which recognizes coastal states' sovereign rights.

A recent air patrol on February 19 involved Philippine Air Force FA-50 light jet fighters and a United States Pacific Air Force B-52H bomber aircraft.