China challenged Philippine military plane 9 times in PH waters last year, Senate told

MANILA, Philippines, Dec 10 (Philippine Inquirer/ANN) —A Philippine military plane faced off nine challenges by China Coast Guard while it was on patrol over Philippine waters near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal last year, a senior Armed Forces of the Philippines officer said at the Senate.

Col. Nonilon Lawas, then part of Northern Luzon Command, recalled the time when he and four others were on a mission to gather evidence of China’s massive and illegal harvest of giant clams in 2019. He, however, did not give the specific date.