Sablan: The National Task Force (NTF) - West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Wednesday reported the movement of a small Chinese structure to a lagoon inside the Bajo de Masinloc (BJDM). In a press conference in Quezon City, NTF-WPS Spokesperson, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela, said the structure was first spotted being moved by two boats on May 31.
According to Philippines News Agency, through an aerial survey of the structure, the NTF-WPS confirmed its presence and found it had a deck area of 30 square meters, surrounded by fenders, possibly anchored and floats, or supported by metal stilts when stationary. Their investigation revealed that two Chinese research vessels, Yue Xia Yu Zhi 20028 and Yue Zhan Yu Ke 6, were first spotted in the southeast entrance of BJDM on May 21.
By May 25, satellite imagery captured an unusual square object in the same location, with a maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources confirming the structure and reporting that one person was onboard the structure on May 26. On May 28, a PCG MDA flight confirmed the structure and spotted a People's Liberation Army (PLA) helicopter operating in the vicinity.
On May 30, another MDA flight of the PCG saw six personnel aboard the structure, including the installation of an antenna on a rock near the entrance to the BJDM lagoon. A PLA fighter intercepted the PCG aircraft during its MDA flight. As of May 31, the NTF-WPS said there were eight unknown structures and objects in the BJDM, including buoys, antennas, and the square structure.
The BJDM is located 119.65 nautical miles from Palauig, Zambales, and is around 500 nautical miles from Hainan, China. During the conference, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Deputy Assistant Secretary Rogelio Villanueva Jr. expressed concern over the presence of the platform, saying it violates Philippine sovereignty and jurisdiction as well as international law.
To date, the DFA has also filed diplomatic protests, called for the removal of the structure, and the cessation of similar activities in the area.
