Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is aware of reports regarding a new Chinese structure inside the lagoon of Bajo de Masinloc and remains committed to pursuing diplomatic and legal measures to protect the Philippines' rights in the West Philippine Sea, Malaca±ang said Thursday. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stated that the President continues to uphold a rules-based approach in addressing developments in disputed maritime areas.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has already filed a diplomatic protest against the floating movable platform reportedly installed by China in Bajo de Masinloc. Castro emphasized the importance of diplomatic and legal measures as the primary means to address such situations, reinforcing the commitment to assert the Philippines' rights.

When asked about concerns that the Philippines may be gradually losing control over the shoal, Castro assured that the President remains steadfast in defending national interests. She stressed that President Marcos would not allow any compromise on Filipino interests and the nation's rights in the West Philippine Sea.

The statement came after the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea confirmed the presence of a square floating structure inside the lagoon of Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal. Aerial and maritime surveillance operations confirmed the structure's presence, along with several other unidentified objects, including buoys and antennas.

The DFA has described the structure as a violation of Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction, calling for its removal. This incident adds to the ongoing tensions in the West Philippine Sea, where Manila has repeatedly protested Chinese activities that it says violate Philippine sovereignty and the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated Beijing's expansive maritime claims.