NATION

DND rejects China call to abandon Bajo de Masinloc

Jing Villamente · Aug 8, 2026, 5:33 PM

A PLATFORM at Bajo de Masinloc is enough to worry a country that remembers Mischief Reef, where China's ‘temporary’ structures did not leave, but hardened, stayed and became a base. — Photograph courtesy of PCG

The Department of National Defense (DND) on Saturday firmly rejected China’s demand for the Philippines to abandon its position and initiatives regarding Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), maintaining that the shoal is an integral part of Philippine territory.

“The Department of National Defense rejects the Chinese Ministry of National Defense’s call to abandon the Philippines’ initiatives and position regarding Bajo de Masinloc (BDM) and its patently false characterizations of lawful Philippine actions within Philippine territory and maritime areas,” the DND statement sent to the Daily Tribune read.

China’s Ministry of National Defense on Friday urged the Philippines to “immediately stop its illegitimate acts” regarding BDM.

The DND maintained that the Philippines exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Bajo de Masinloc under international law and the 2016 Arbitral Award.

“BDM is an integral and longstanding part of the Philippine national territory, and its maritime zones and entitlements, as established by the Philippines, are strictly in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award. The recent submission by the Philippines of the updated nautical chart to the United Nations provides the necessary legal clarity and due publicity to the international community on the geographical limits of our maritime zones in Bajo de Masinloc,” the DND said.

“The Philippines will continue the lawful exercise of its sovereignty over BDM. We will not be deterred by China’s false narratives and hooliganism, as evidenced by its continued aggressive activities and attempts to distort history and the rules-based international order. Di kami pasisiil,” the DND added.

Meanwhile, National Maritime Council (NMC) spokesperson Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez said China’s alleged illegal and aggressive behavior at sea was accompanied by a new narrative following China’s confirmation of the deaths of two of its Navy personnel in an August 2025 collision involving its own vessels near Bajo de Masinloc.

“Their target audience is their domestic audience. They made a ‘martyr’ or hero of their fallen CG personnel out of their own mistake!! The question is ... why only now? It took them quite a while, almost a year (11 Aug 2025) to develop a narrative that is acceptable to their local audience!! That’s how the Chinese gov’t are fooling their people! They cannot and will not admit their mistakes or the results of their illegal and aggressive behaviors at sea. Sila tuloy ang nabiktima. The world knew what happened in that fateful day!” Lopez said.