00:00The U.S. State Department approved the sale of the F-16 fighter aircraft in the Philippines,
00:07which is expected to help safeguard the territory of the country.
00:12In the midst of the presence of a Chinese vessel that has not yet been launched,
00:18research was conducted in the area of Palawan, where Chino Gaston is stationed.
00:24The Chinese research vessel Songhang is inside the archipelagic waters of the Kalasaguin Island
00:34on the eastern seaboard of Palawan.
00:36It is allowed under the doctrine of the Innocent Passage,
00:40but the case is not being answered by the Philippine Coast Guard's aircraft several times earlier this morning.
00:48Let me first reiterate, we inquired what their purpose is,
00:52but not directly challenging them because we know that they also have a right for the Innocent Passage.
00:58But we also advised them that they are not authorized or allowed to carry out marine scientific research
01:07within our own archipelagic waters.
01:09On March 31, PCG first detected the Songhang, an 83-meter Chinese fisheries research vessel from Shanghai.
01:17The security analyst, Ray Powell, first announced yesterday in his social media post
01:22that Songhang is passing near the island of Panay.
01:26To further strengthen the protection of the ocean,
01:29PCG purchased five 97-meter offshore patrol vessels from Japan,
01:34while France will supply 40 fast patrol crafts.
01:38America approved the sale of 20 F-16 fighter aircraft in the Philippines
01:44worth US$5.58 billion.
01:47In an interview, the US State Department said that it will help the Philippine Air Force
01:53in the implementation of maritime domain awareness and in stopping enemy air defenses.
02:00Also, to the ability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to protect important interests and territories.
02:07In a social media post by the Chinese state-run media Global Times,
02:11the Foreign Ministry of China was asked about the sale of F-16 fighter jets in the Philippines.
02:17Who is the one causing the tension, causing military confrontation, and making Asia a powder keg?
02:25When we asked, the Department of National Defense said
02:28that they have not yet received official communication from the US State Department about the F-16 fighters.
02:35For GMA Integrated News, Chino Gaston reporting for 24 Hours.
Comments