MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has lodged a diplomatic protest against China over a floating structure spotted inside Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said on Tuesday.
“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,” the NTF-WPS said in a statement.
The task force said aerial monitoring by several government agencies confirmed the presence of a floating platform measuring about six meters by six meters and appearing to have an antenna.
READ: PH probes report of new structure at Panatag Shoal
Latest imagery obtained by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) also showed personnel on top of the structure, while monitoring by the Philippine Coast Guard indicated that the platform remains within the shoal with individuals onboard, according to the NTF-WPS.
“The protection of Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction remains a paramount consideration,” the task force said.
Government agencies are continuing to monitor developments and assess the nature, purpose and implications of the installation, the NTF-WPS added.
The statement came a day after AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. disclosed that a moving structure had been detected inside the lagoon of Panatag, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, in the West Philippine Sea.
The shoal lies about 220 kilometers from Luzon in the West Philippine Sea, well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. It has remained under Chinese control since a 2012 standoff with the Philippine Navy.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, waters in the western portion of the country’s 370-kilometer EEZ. Beijing continues to ignore a 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal that nullified its claims and upheld Manila’s sovereign rights over these waters.
Brawner said the structure measured approximately six meters by six meters and was carrying six individuals.
READ: Coast Guard extends aid to fishermen during Panatag Shoal mission
To determine the nature of the structure, the AFP has deployed aircraft over the area and continues to conduct aerial surveillance whenever weather conditions permit, according to Brawner.
The military is also planning to deploy ships to monitor activities in the shoal, he said.
Brawner added that the structure appeared similar to an object previously identified in satellite images shared by maritime expert Ray Powell, director of SeaLight.
Brawner earlier warned against any activity that could lead to the construction of permanent facilities at the shoal, saying the Philippines would not allow a repeat of developments seen in other disputed features that eventually became artificial islands.
He also said the government was pursuing diplomatic measures in response to the discovery, including the filing of a demarche through the DFA and consultations with allies and partner nations.
The NTF-WPS reiterated that Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of the Philippines and falls within the country’s maritime zones under international law, citing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea. /mr
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