00:00Tensions are heating up in the West Philippine Sea as maritime patrols find themselves walking a tightrope amid repeated encounters with Chinese naval vessels.
00:09Authorities vow to keep a close eye on the situation, determined not to let up an inch in defending the country's waters.
00:16Our Patrick Diasus narrates the story.
00:20The number of Chinese vessels in Scarborough Shoal has increased once again.
00:26This was noticed during conduct of a Maritime Domain Awareness or MDA flight by a Cessna Caravan of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources with some members of the media on board including PTV News.
00:42Three China Coast Guard vessels were spotted at a distance of one nautical mile from the shoal.
00:49Two People's Liberation Army or PLA Navy warships were also seen in the vicinity including a guided missile frigate and a guided missile destroyer which repeatedly issued radio challenges to the BIFAR aircraft.
01:04The BIFAR pilots, also continuously engaged with them, were in the exchanges of radio challenges, reached 80 times.
01:20We are conducting raffle balance of patrols in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
01:25You are way beyond the 200 nautical mile EEZ of your country.
01:29Please receive your charge.
01:30A Chinese naval helicopter also tailed the BIFAR aircraft at a distance of 800 meters.
01:41Radar detected a Chinese fighter jet that flew 5,000 feet above the BIFAR aircraft through a radio challenge.
01:49BIFAR pilots warned of the potential danger posed by China's air assets tailing them.
01:55We are flying two doors conducting dangerous maneuvers that would danger the line of the crew and passengers.
02:02Keep away at distance your aircraft from us.
02:04Aside from the MDA flight, the deployment of Philippine Coast Guard vessels remains regular.
02:11Monitoring continues in the West Philippine Sea despite political issues.
02:15We are still focusing our attention dito sa aming patriotic duty na to us.
02:20With regard to the domestic politics, it's not something that we need to meddle in.
02:26Para sa amin, ito ang aming sinupang tungkulin.
02:29So, we're just going to focus on our jobs.
02:32From the West Philippine Sea, Patrick De Jesus.
02:36From the National TV Network for a New and Better Philippines.
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