MANILA, Philippines — Philippine authorities said on Wednesday that a Chinese floating platform detected inside the lagoon of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal has been removed, weeks after Manila filed a diplomatic protest over its presence in the disputed feature.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said maritime domain awareness patrols and monitoring conducted on Wednesday confirmed the removal of the platform from the lagoon of Bajo de Masinloc, the Philippine name for the shoal.
The task force did not identify who removed the structure or when it was taken away.
“The Philippines lodged a formal diplomatic protest against its presence soon after it was detected,” the NTF-WPS said in a statement.
“While we take note of the removal, we reiterate our principled and unyielding position: Bajo de Masinloc is and will always be an integral part of Philippine territory,” it added.
Philippine authorities first monitored the platform on May 25 during maritime domain awareness flights conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
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Officials described it as a movable floating structure with an estimated deck area of about 30 square meters and equipped with metal stilts that could allow it to remain stationary in specific locations.
Its presence prompted the Philippines to file a diplomatic protest and demand its removal.
A day before the platform’s removal was confirmed, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) warned that marine research and surveying activities in the area could have military, economic, or environmental applications.
Philippine officials had been closely monitoring the structure and a Chinese research vessel seen towing it near Panatag Shoal earlier this week.
Panatag Shoal, located about 220 kilometers west of Luzon, has been under China’s effective control since a 2012 standoff but remains within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Manila continues to assert its rights in the area, citing the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.
In Wednesday’s statement, the NTF-WPS reiterated that only the Philippines has the right to construct structures and conduct activities within Bajo de Masinloc and its territorial sea.
The task force said the AFP, PCG, BFAR, and other agencies would continue regular maritime patrols and monitoring operations in and around the shoal.
It also called on foreign entities to comply with international law and cease actions that infringe on Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction.
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