PH probes report of new structure at Panatag Shoal
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government said on Wednesday it is verifying reports of a possible new structure at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, a key feature in the West Philippine Sea that has long been a point of tension between Manila and Beijing.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said relevant government agencies were undertaking verification and validation measures to determine the accuracy, nature and circumstances surrounding the reported structure.
“The NTF-WPS is aware of reports regarding the alleged presence of a new structure at Bajo de Masinloc (Panatag Shoal),” the task force said in a statement.
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The NTF-WPS said authorities were using available monitoring, surveillance and operational assessment mechanisms to establish the facts, but did not provide details on the reported structure or identify the source of the reports.
“The Philippine Government takes seriously any development that may affect the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea,” the task force said.
It added that concerned agencies were closely coordinating to ensure a “comprehensive and fact-based assessment” of the situation.
The NTF-WPS also urged the public to refrain from speculation while verification efforts are ongoing and to rely only on information released through official channels.
“While verification efforts are ongoing, we underscore the importance of avoiding speculation and, instead, rely on information released through official government channels only,” it said.
Panatag Shoal is about 220 kilometers from Luzon in the West Philippine Sea, well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. It has remained under Chinese control since a 2012 standoff with the Philippine Navy.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, waters in the western portion of the country’s 370-kilometer EEZ.Beijing continues to ignore a 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal that nullified its claims and upheld Manila’s sovereign rights over these waters.
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Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. had earlier acknowledged reports of a possible new structure at the shoal but said authorities were still validating the information.
Teodoro said on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue last week that the government had received “raw information” about the reported development and was working to establish the facts.
Maritime transparency initiative SeaLight on Tuesday likewise released commercial satellite imagery that it said showed a small reflective object near the southern entrance of Scarborough Shoal’s lagoon.
According to the group, the imagery was captured on May 28 by satellite operator Satellogic.
SeaLight said it also reviewed separate commercial satellite imagery taken on May 26 that showed an object in the same location.
The group said the object’s appearance in images taken days apart suggested it was a persistent feature rather than a temporary visual anomaly.
However, SeaLight said it could not conclusively determine whether the object was a fixed structure, a reef-mounted marker, a buoy-type device, a monitoring instrument or another type of installation.
The NTF-WPS reiterated the Philippines’ commitment to defending its maritime entitlements and upholding international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award.
The task force said further information would be released once the verification process is completed. /mr
