MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines has found no confirmed evidence that a Chinese research vessel conducted drilling activities during its 28-day stay at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, according to its spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad said the vessel’s movements indicated surveillance or research activities, but its track did not show a continuous stationary pattern that would be expected of a ship conducting seabed drilling.
“As to any report of drilling activities, there was none that was confirmed. Nor were there any reports given by our monitoring capabilities,” Trinidad said.
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But the AFP’s assessment does not end monitoring of the vessel’s activities as government agencies continue to verify reports concerning its presence in Philippine waters.
“To be able to conduct drilling activities …, the ship would have to be stationary and not moving,” Trinidad said.
He added that other sensors used by the government would provide appropriate reports on possible drilling activities, while coordination with other agencies had yielded no reports of such operations.
“Monitoring and verification of any report is a continuous activity conducted by all government agencies,” Trinidad said.
The AFP maintains close coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in monitoring activities in the West Philippine Sea, he said.
Trinidad also reiterated the military’s position on the country’s rights and interests in the West Philippine Sea, citing domestic law and the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
He said that Panatag, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, is a high-tide elevation over which the Philippines has sovereignty, while Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal is a low-tide elevation within the country’s exclusive economic zone, where the Philippines exercises sovereign rights over the waters. It lies about 220 kilometers west of Luzon.
Trinidad also said the BRP Sierra Madre, a commissioned Philippine Navy vessel stationed at Ayungin Shoal, would remain there, with the AFP continuing to support and sustain its presence. /cb
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