MYSTERIOUS PLATFORM Officials of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea brief media on the series of events surrounding the discovery of a floating platform on Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, starting May 25. They showed pictures of the mysterious structure, which they believe is beingused in illegal marine scientific research. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine authorities on Wednesday said a floating platform inside Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal may be supporting unauthorized marine scientific research, citing the continued presence of Chinese research vessels in the area and what they described as apparent data-gathering activities.
Officials from the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) presented a timeline of observations showing the platform’s appearance in late May and linked it to two Chinese research vessels operating near the disputed shoal.
“We can also say that they are probably conducting illegal scientific research in Bajo de Masinloc (Panatag Shoal),” Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela said during a press briefing.
Tarriela stressed that authorities are still validating the platform’s exact purpose and any conclusions remain subject to further monitoring.
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National Maritime Council Undersecretary Alexander Lopez said that based on their monitoring and assessment, “we are quite sure that these are all data-gathering” although he added that “we’re not sure what kind of data they’re trying to collect.”
Panatag Shoal is about 357 kilometers off Palauig, Zambales, and roughly 926 km from Hainan, China’s southernmost province. It lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, about 352 km from the nearest Philippine coastline.
However, it has remained under Chinese control since a 2012 standoff with the Philippine Navy.
Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, waters in the western portion of the country’s 370-km EEZ. It continues to ignore a 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal that nullified its claims and upheld Manila’s sovereign rights over these waters.
READ: PH probes report of new structure at Panatag Shoal
Timeline
According to Tarriela, commercial satellite imagery taken on May 20 showed no man-made structure at the entrance of Panatag Shoal. A day later, Philippine authorities observed two Chinese research vessels—Yue Xia Yu Zhi 20028 and Yue Zhan Yu 6—near the area.
By May 25, satellite imagery first spotted the square-shaped object near the southeastern entrance of the shoal.
Authorities later documented the structure during maritime domain awareness flights conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Philippine Coast Guard.
The platform, which officials described as a movable floating structure, has an estimated deck area of about 30 square meters. It is equipped with four metal stilts that could allow it to remain stationary at specific locations.
Tarriela said Philippine authorities observed six Chinese nationals on the platform on May 30.
The following day, the structure was moved from the shoal’s entrance into the lagoon with the assistance of two service boats carrying an estimated 12 to 15 personnel.
Philippine officials also reported the presence of additional floating buoys and what they described as a possible antenna structure installed near the shoal’s entrance.
According to Tarriela, the sequence of events, coupled with the continued presence of Chinese research vessels, suggested the activities were likely civilian in nature rather than military.
“The mere fact that what we are seeing there are all Chinese research vessels and there are no presence of PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Navy vessels there, I would like to put it that way,” he said. “I think this is still a civilian, illegal marine scientific research that is being conducted.”
Diplomatic action
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) expressed concern over the platform and related structures, saying these were installed without Philippine authorization.
“The continued presence of the semipermanent floating platform, without consent or authorization, is not only a violation of the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the Philippines, but is also inconsistent with international law,” DFA spokesperson for maritime affairs Rogelio Villanueva Jr. said in the same briefing.
Villanueva said Manila has undertaken diplomatic actions, including several demarches and a diplomatic protest, in response to the developments.
He also urged China to remove the platform and refrain from similar activities in and around the shoal.
According to the DFA, the structures were inconsistent with China’s commitments under the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which calls on claimant states to exercise self-restraint and avoid actions that could complicate disputes.
Despite this, Villanueva said the Philippines remains committed to ongoing negotiations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea.
AFP patrols to go on
For its part, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it would continue patrols in the West Philippine Sea.
AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, now a reservist, said the military conducted 42 maritime patrols in May and June, including 35 sea patrols and seven air patrols, across its western maritime areas.
“With this development in Bajo de Masinloc, we will keep performing this mandate. We will continue patrolling the seas, flying the skies,” Trinidad said.
China, meanwhile, defended its actions, with Chinese Embassy in Manila spokesperson Ji Lingpeng saying in a statement that “Huangyan Dao (Beijing’s name for the shoal) is “inherent” Chinese territory.
“China has indisputable sovereignty over it and its adjacent waters,” Ji said. “It is fully within China’s sovereign rights to carry out activities, including scientific research at Huangyan Dao.” /cb
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