The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the structures recently observed within Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) are not newly constructed, countering earlier concerns of fresh developments in the disputed territory.

Speaking during a forum organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute in Makati on Thursday, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela cited satellite imagery showing that the structures have been present since at least 2010, two years before the 2012 standoff that led to China's illegal control of the shoal.

“It’s not just as early as 2023. We are now retrieving images way back earlier than [these structures have] been there already. This is not something new,” Tarriela said. 

“This might just be debris from an earlier plan to construct something there,” he added. 

Tarriela emphasized that the structures, which appear to be remnants or debris, were already visible in satellite photos from over a decade ago. “

Even before the standoff, the structures had been there already,” he said.

Removal of structures 

While the presence of the structures is now confirmed to be longstanding, Tarriela said any decision on whether they should be removed lies with the National Maritime Council (NMC) and the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS).

Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Panatag Shoal, is located just 124 nautical miles west of Zambales, well within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). 

In contrast, it lies nearly 472 nautical miles from China’s Hainan province.

Buoys installed by Chinese Forces

In its latest maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight, the PCG observed two significant developments inside the shoal, which include the installation of a second floating buoy by Chinese maritime forces in the northern part of the lagoon and the removal of a floating barrier previously placed across the shoal’s entrance.

“This strengthens our argument that they only put those floating barriers when there is a high number of Filipino fishermen and Philippine government vessels in the area,” Tarriela noted. 

“The mere fact that there is already a significant diminishing number of [Filipino] fishermen in the area, they remove them,” he added. 

Tarriela was firm in asserting that the installation of these buoys is illegal, as China does not have the legal authority to make such changes within the shoal.

Asked whether China intends to push through the militarization of the area, Tarriela said. “Well, I cannot speculate that they are wanting to construct, whether that is their intention. But the only thing that I can discuss is that those two floating buoys that they have installed are already a violation.”

“They do not have legal authority to install those buoys in the Bajo de Masinloc,” he added. 

He likewise declined to confirm if the Philippines has plans to remove the buoys, citing operational confidentiality.

Harassment of fishermen ongoing

Meanwhile, Tarriela also reported continued harassment of Filipino fishermen by the China Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia, particularly near Pag-asa Island and Scarborough Shoal. 

Tarriela lamented the recent incidents included water cannon attacks and aggressive maneuvers against Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels operating well within Philippine territorial waters.

“Since we launched K Kadiwa sa Bagong Bayanihan sa mga Mangingisda (KBBM) program, even that we have concentrated the deployment of Coast Guard and BFAR vessels in those areas… the Chinese are launching their rigid hull inflatable boat,” he said.

Despite this, he assured that the PCG and BFAR continue to support local fishers, which includes fuel subsidies and patrol escorts.

“We can still guarantee the safety and security of our Filipino fishermen,” he said.