Navy spots barrier, probes reported underwater structure in Scarborough

This photo taken on February 15, 2024, shows an aerial view of Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea. (Photo by JAM STA ROSA / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Navy spotted a barrier in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal as they look into the reported underwater structure there, its West Philippine Sea affairs spokesperson, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said on Tuesday.

In a regular military press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Trinidad said elements of Northern Luzon Naval Command “noticed the barriers in front of Scarborough Shoal” in their recent maritime domain awareness.

READ: Beijing claims PH fishers may ruin its Scarborough ‘nature reserve’

Furthermore, he said “we have received certain reports of structures underwater which we are verifying.”

However, he did not rule out the possibility that these could be “remnants” of old structures in Panatag Shoal.

In 1997, there was a marker—a steel structure—erected by China in Panatag Shoal which was then blown up by the Philippine Navy forces, Trinidad recalled.

There were also “building blocks” spotted there back when there was still a US military base in the country. During that time, he said Panatag Shoal was used as a bombing range by the militaries of Manila and Washington.

“We are checking the latest report that these structures were spotted — they could be remnants of the old structures that were there on Bajo de Masinloc,” Trinidad said.

Apart from military use, Panatag Shoal had also served as a traditional storm shelter for fisherfolk across Luzon.

But since its effective takeover in 2012, China has enforced what experts call an “exclusion zone enforcement” around Panatag, preventing fisherfolk access.

Beijing claims sovereignty in almost the entire South China Sea but Manila brought the matter to an international court, which ruled in favor of its sovereign rights in 2016.

The arbitral tribunal also declared the Panatag Shoal a traditional fishing ground for the Philippines, China and Vietnam.

In refusal to recognize this ruling, China continued its aggressive actions there, the most notable of which occurred on Aug. 11 which led to the collision of its coast guard vessel and navy warship.

Almost a month after the collision, Beijing declared Panatag Shoal as an environmental nature reserve, a unilateral move condemned by Manila and Washington. /jpv