PH govt files protest over structure in Masinloc

The Manila Times

PH govt files protest over structure in Masinloc

THE National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) on Tuesday reiterated the Philippine government’s stance that Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of Philippine territory and falls within the country’s maritime zones under international law. It said that the government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, filed a diplomatic protest with the Chinese government over the confirmed presence of a “floating structure” inside Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal). Citing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea dispute, the NTF-WPS said the government will continue to pursue actions consistent with international law and the country’s national interests. “The protection of Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction remains a paramount consideration,” the NTF-WPS said in a statement. “The Department of Foreign Affairs has already undertaken appropriate diplomatic action with the government of the People’s Republic of China in connection with the illegal presence of this floating structure,” it added. Aerial surveillance recently conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and other agencies detected “a floating platform measuring approximately six meters by six meters.” The structure reportedly appears to be equipped with an antenna. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), meanwhile, indicated that the structure remains within the shoal with individuals onboard. The Philippine government confirmed Monday the presence of a floating structure with apparent surveillance equipment and personnel aboard within Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal. The NTF-WPS said in a statement issued Tuesday that aerial monitoring by multiple agencies confirmed the presence of a 6-by-6-meter floating platform equipped with what appears to be an antenna. Philippine Coast Guard monitoring showed the structure was located within the shoal with individuals observed onboard. The statement confirmed information shared a day earlier by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., saying the structures first observed in late May were still present, possibly floating within the shoal. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 30 that he had received information indicating the presence of the structure on the shoal. Bajo de Masinloc is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and falls within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. The Philippines has insisted the area is an integral part of its territory under international law, a position supported by a 2016 arbitral ruling that China has rejected. The structure’s emergence follows weeks of heightened Chinese naval activity in the area. AFP monitoring recorded 39 Chinese vessels near Bajo de Masinloc throughout May — the highest concentration across four key West Philippine Sea features — consisting of 16 People’s Liberation Army Navy ships and 23 China Coast Guard vessels. Commercial satellite imagery captured on May 27 and 28 by two separate providers corroborated the presence of a small reflective object near the lagoon entrance, with maritime transparency group SeaLight noting that China has exercised effective control over Bajo de Masinloc since 2012 and has increasingly restricted access to the lagoon entrance since 2024. SeaLight Director Ray Powell warned that if the object is confirmed to be a fixed installation, it could raise questions about compliance with the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which calls for self-restraint and avoiding actions that could escalate disputes or alter the status quo. He added that similar small installations on previously uninhabited features have often preceded further developments. Analysts say the worst-case scenario would be that the structure marks the beginning of island-building on a feature that, as a high-tide elevation, would generate its own territorial sea under international law. The NTF-WPS said interagency coordination was ongoing to assess the nature, purpose, and implications of the installation and pledged further updates as the situation develops. China has not publicly commented on the structure. The Department of Foreign Affairs has undertaken appropriate diplomatic action against China on the matter. “The Philippine government will continue to take appropriate actions consistent with international law and in defense of the country’s national interests,” it said in a statement, adding that the protection of Manila’s sovereignty and jurisdiction “remains a paramount consideration.” China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday reiterated China’s indisputable sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal, which it calls Huangyan Island, and its adjacent waters. It said China’s activities there, including scientific research, are legitimate. “China urges the Philippines to stop its maritime infringements, provocations and inflammatory hype,” foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a regular press conference when asked about the “diplomatic action.”

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