Palace: PH won’t lose Bajo de Masinloc, to stick to legal steps

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday vowed the Philippines will not lose control of the disputed Bajo de Masinloc, following its diplomatic protest with China over a floating structure spotted in the area.

It added that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already been informed of the incident and remains committed to pursuing legal measures to protect the country’s interests.

READ: PH protests China over floating structure in Scarborough Shoal

“It remains clear that his [Marcos] position is to prioritize the use of diplomatic and legal measures in addressing this kind of situation,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, speaking Filipino, said during a briefing.

“The President will not allow that to happen. We know what the President’s true stance is when it comes to the interests of Filipinos and also our interests here in the West Philippine Sea,” she responded in Filipino when asked for a message to those who are worried that the country is slowly losing control over Bajo de Masinloc.

On June 9, the Philippines lodged a diplomatic protest against China over the floating structure inside the lagoon of Panatag, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, in the West Philippine Sea.

READ: PH probes report of new structure at Panatag Shoal

“The Department of Foreign Affairs has already undertaken appropriate diplomatic action with the government of the People’s Republic of China in connection with the illegal presence of this floating structure,” the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said in a statement on June 9.

The floating platform measures about six by six meters and appears to have an antenna.

Moreover, latest imagery obtained by the Armed Forces of the Philippines showed personnel on top of the structure, while monitoring by the Philippine Coast Guard indicated that the platform remains within the shoal with individuals onboard.

The shoal is located about 220 kilometers from Luzon in the West Philippine Sea within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. 

However, it has remained under Chinese control since a 2012 standoff with the Philippine Navy. /jpv