The Manila Times

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PH tells China to remove movable platform inside Bajo de Masinloc

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), urged China to remove the floating platform suspected of conducting maritime scientific research inside Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Deputy Assistant Secretary Rogelio Villanueva Jr., DFA spokesman for Maritime Affairs on Wednesday, asserted that only the Philippines has the right to place or construct structures and conduct activities in Bajo de Masinloc and that the continued presence of the semi-permanent platform in the area without consent or authorization was “not only a violation of the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the Philippines but is also inconsistent with international law particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or Unclos and the 2016 award in the South China Sea arbitration.” “We therefore urge China to withdraw and remove the platform structures from Bajo de Masinloc, cease similar actions that violate Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights in and within the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc and comply with its obligations under international law particularly Unclos and the 2016 award in the South China Sea arbitration,” Villanueva said of the Philippine government’s position. Villanueva said the Philippines has undertaken the appropriate diplomatic action, including several demarches and a diplomatic protest to the People’s Republic of China. Discovery The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) presented photos and videos as well as chronological documentations of the discovery of the floating platform in Bajo de Masinloc detected through satellite imagery and later confirmed through aerial surveillances of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). Physically, the platform had a deck area of about 30 square meters and about 5-7 meters in length and was surrounded by fenders guarding it from impact. It is also possibly anchored and floats which was also supported by metal stills when made stationary. According to Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman for the WPS, two Chinese research vessels were first spotted going inward Bajo de Masinloc. These vessels, Tarriela said, were suspected to have towed the platform inside the shoal. It was on May 25 that a satellite imagery spotted a square object near the southeast entrance of Bajo de Masinloc which was the first clear indication that a structure was being done there. A BFAR air surveillance flight on May 26 confirmed the presence of the suspected structure. A low altitude flight by the PCG followed but a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) helicopter was quick to come in and harassed the PCG aircraft. A buoy was sighted along with two Chinese research vessels, the same ships seen earlier spotted in the area. Intention Undersecretary Alexander Lopez, National Maritime Council (NMC) spokesman, said the Philippine government viewed this as among China’s “data-gathering activities.” Tarriela however dismissed any possibility of the research being done in the area as a prelude to China’s plan of building a nature reserve in the area simply because the Philippines does not recognize it. He also declined to give speculations as to the intention for putting up such a platform in the area as the intention is just to present facts, as of now.

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