The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is verifying reports that China may have placed a structure or equipment at Scarborough Shoal, even as the military monitored a rise in the number of Chinese vessels in key areas of the West Philippine Sea.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said several government agencies are now checking the reported sighting at Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc (BDM). He stressed, however, that the information remains raw and has yet to be validated.
“There was a report on a possible structure or equipment on BDM. This is currently being validated by different government agencies,” Trinidad said during a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.
Trinidad said the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea will issue the official update once the report is verified.
“At the appropriate time, this will be answered by the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea,” he said.
The AFP official also said the military has not monitored any Chinese dredger in the area.
The report comes amid renewed attention on Scarborough Shoal after Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said last Friday that the government had “raw information” on the possible presence of structures there.
American maritime expert Ray Powell also posted on social media satellite imagery taken on May 28, showing what he described as a small reflective object on the reef flat near the lagoon entrance of the shoal.
Powell said it could not yet be determined whether the object was a fixed structure, a reef-mounted marker, a buoy-type device, a monitoring instrument, or another kind of equipment.
Asked about Powell’s post, Trinidad said the AFP does not comment on personal social media posts and relies on official monitoring and inter-agency validation.
“We rely on information from our monitoring. And the moment it is validated by different government agencies, the NTF-WPS will give out an update on that,” Trinidad said.
He said the military receives many reports concerning the maritime domain, but all information must undergo strict validation before any official statement is released to the public.
“Before we release any news to the public, everything is validated. That includes this particular report on a possible equipment or structure or whatever that was reportedly sighted on Bajo de Masinloc,” Trinidad said.
Asked whether the government would remove the reported object if confirmed, Trinidad declined to speculate.
“I don’t want to speculate on possible actions to be undertaken. As of the moment, the stand is still on the validation phase,” he said.
Scarborough Shoal lies about 124 nautical miles from Zambales. China gained control of the shoal in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels and has since blocked or restricted Filipino fishermen from entering its lagoon.
Meanwhile, the AFP said it monitored 82 Chinese Coast Guard and Navy vessels last month at Scarborough Shoal and three other key features in the West Philippine Sea, up by 20 vessels from the previous month.
Of the total, 39 were seen at Scarborough Shoal, 17 at Ayungin Shoal, 16 near Pag-asa Island, and 10 at Escoda Shoal.
Trinidad said the figures show China’s continued “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive” activities in the West Philippine Sea.
“These figures underscore the continued conduct of ICAD activities that undermine the rules-based international order and challenge the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction within its maritime domain,” Trinidad said.
He said such actions contribute to regional tensions and show the need for continued vigilance and adherence to international law.
Despite China’s continued presence, Trinidad said the AFP remains firm in protecting the country’s maritime interests through sustained patrols, stronger maritime domain awareness, tighter inter-agency coordination, and continued capability development.
“Through sustained operational presence, enhanced maritime domain awareness, strengthened inter-agency coordination and continued capability development, the AFP remains committed to protecting national sovereignty, upholding maritime security and promoting peace, stability, and the rule of law in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.