PCG detects ‘long-standing’ structural debris in Scarborough Shoal

The Philippine Coast Guard’s satellite images show what it said are ‘long-standing’ structural debris in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal on October 15, 2025. — Photo from PCG

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)  on Wednesday confirmed the existence of  structural debris in Scarborough Shoal.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said they have found precise coordinates of these structural debris in Panatag Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc.

“These coordinates have enabled a thorough review of historical satellite imagery, confirming the presence of structural debris dating back at least two years,” Tarriela said in a statement.

“This verification underscores that the debris is long-standing and not indicative of recent construction,” he added.

On Tuesday, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for West Philippine Sea, confirmed that they have received reports of structures underwater in Panatag Shoal.

However, Trinidad then did not rule out the possibility that these could be “remnants” of old structures in the U-shaped atoll.

In 1997, there was a marker — a steel structure — erected by China in the 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 the sandbank was used as a bombing range by the militaries of Manila and Washington.

In a related development, Tarriela said the PCG also found a yellow buoy installed at the northern tip of the shoal during Wednesday’s maritime domain awareness (MDA) operation.

During the MDA, Tarriela said PCG’s aircraft saw a low-altitude  pass of a People’s Liberation Army (PLA)  Navy helicopter directly beneath it.

Immediately after this, he said a PLA-Air Force Shenyang J-16 fighter jet was deployed “to harass and endanger the safe flight path.”

“Such actions pose a clear and unacceptable risk to the safety of PCG personnel and the journalists embedded on the mission,” he said.

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 its 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.

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

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