The Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) conducted a bilateral air intercept training exercise over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) on February 4, reinforcing military cooperation in a region increasingly marked by Chinese assertiveness.
The PAF-PACAF exercise is the first held by Manila and Washington under President Donald Trump’s new administration. It included an air patrol and an exercise aimed at enhancing interoperability, strengthening air domain awareness, and improving agile combat employment between the two allies.
PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo emphasized the significance of the training, saying that it falls under the framework of the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board between the Philippines and the U.S.
“These aircraft will rendezvous off the west coast of the Philippines and conduct bilateral air patrols, air intercept training, and photo exercises within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ),” Castillo said in a press briefing on February 4.
During the exercise, which began in the afternoon, the PAF deployed two FA-50 fighter jets, while U.S. PACAF sent two B-1 aircraft. Castillo clarified that no bombing exercises were conducted.
Scarborough Shoal locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, which lies within the Philippines’ EEZ, has been under Chinese control since a 2012 standoff. The hotly disputed shoal is a traditional fishing ground for Filipino, Chinese, and Vietnamese fishers.
Beijing claims most of the South China Sea, including parts of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, and has repeatedly harassed Philippine Coast Guard and fishing vessels near the shoal.
Despite this, Castillo insisted that the exercise was not intended as a response to growing tensions in the area.
“Definitely, we expect that there will be challenges. There might be foreign aircraft probably intercepting or flying near the flight, but they will definitely receive challenges also, especially if they’re flying over our territory or near our territory. At the same time, there will be counter challenges as expected,” Castillo said.
China’s response
On February 4, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command’s Air Force said it carried out a routine patrol over Scarborough Shoal the same day, countering the PAF’s claim that the flight exercise was not disrupted.
In a statement, PLA Southern Theater Command Air Force’s spokesperson Senior Colonel Li Jianjian said China maintained a high level of alert, firmly defending its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. Li accused Manila of joining foreign-led patrols intended to “undermine peace and stability” in the South China Sea.
But the Philippines rejected China’s claims, insisting that Chinese aircraft were not near the intensive military training area and did not interfere with the air exercise.
Navy condemns China’s warships
The Philippine Navy also condemned China’s continued disregard for international law by illegally deploying three warships, including a guided-missile frigate, near Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. Philippine naval forces detected the vessels within the country’s EEZ on February 3.
“The presence of the PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy) in the area reflects the People’s Republic of China’s complete disregard for international law and undermines peace and stability in the region,” Philippine Navy spokesperson Captain John Percie Alcos said on February 4.
Despite repeated radio challenges from Philippine vessels, the Chinese warships ignored Manila’s warnings.
The Philippine Navy has also been tracking a separate Chinese naval convoy that entered Philippine waters near Cuyo Island in Palawan before exiting through the Basilan Channel on February 4.
According to Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesperson for the Philippine Navy’s West Philippine Sea operations, the convoy included a Type 055 Renhai-class cruiser, a Type 054A Jiangkai-class frigate, and an unidentified vessel resembling a Type 903A Fuchi-class replenishment oiler.
“We would like to highlight that this entailed the participation of Northern Luzon Command, Western Command, Central Command, and Western Mindanao Command,” Trinidad said, emphasizing the military’s ability to track and monitor foreign warships.
Trinidad also noted that while China’s passage could be considered an exercise of archipelagic sea lanes passage, the warships did not comply with international protocols by varying their speeds.
“When passing through archipelagic waters under archipelagic sea lanes passage, ships have to travel continuously and at the fastest possible speed or the most expeditious speed,” he explained. “For this particular case, we monitored them traveling at times at 30 knots, 40 knots. There were times they slowed down to 6 or 5 knots. That is not expeditious.”
The Navy also said it is preparing to participate in the 5th Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK) in Bali, Indonesia, from February 15 to 22.
According to Alcos, the Philippines will deploy the offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) as part of a naval task group.
“As a major exercise in the region, MNEK focuses on enhancing relations and cooperation among participating nations in maritime security operations and humanitarian assistance and disaster response,” he said.
He added that the drill would allow the Philippine Navy to deepen ties with regional and global partners, promoting maritime security through combined operations and discussions.
PCG rebukes lawmaker’s claim
Meanwhile, as tensions continue in the region, a recent controversial statement from a Philippine lawmaker has sparked outrage.
During a House tri-committee hearing on misinformation, Sagip Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta dismissed the existence of the West Philippine Sea, calling it a government invention.
“There is no such thing as the West Philippine Sea,” Marcoleta said. “This is a creation by us.”
His remarks drew a sharp rebuke from Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on West Philippine Sea affairs.
“Hearing someone claim that the ‘West Philippine Sea’ is merely a fabrication of the Philippine government is a disservice and an embarrassment to their entire party, the organization they belong to, and even their own family,” Tarriela wrote on X on February 4.
“How can one face the younger generations today and tell them that our exclusive economic zone to the west of our archipelago is nonexistent, effectively giving up the fight to assert their rights as Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea?” he added.
The Philippines refers to parts of the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea. It was officially named under an administrative order signed by former President Benigno Aquino III in 2012, renaming South China Sea waters within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
He also directed the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority to reflect the name in official maps, reinforcing the Philippines’ sovereignty over its EEZ.
Photo credit: Philippine Air Force. Two PAF FA-50 fighter jets in formation with two U.S. PACAF B-1 aircraft during the joint Air Patrol and Air Intercept Training over the West Philippine Sea on February 4, 2025.