NATIONAL Security Adviser Eduardo Año yesterday condemned China’s launching of a rocket that brought internet satellites into space, which he said caused undue alarm and risk.
The Philippine Navy said debris from the Chinese rocket fell in the Tubbataha Reef area in Palawan, and retrieval efforts are underway.
Año said loud explosions, caused by the launch of the Long March 12 from Hainan province on Monday night, led to “widespread alarm and concern in Puerto Princesa City and other municipalities, particularly in coastal barangays in the province.”
“Local residents also saw a fireball cross the sky that later exploded causing the ground to shake,” Año said in a statement.
He said the launch “alarmed the public and placed the people of Palawan at risk.”
“While no immediate damage or injury has been reported so far, falling debris from the launch poses a clear danger and risk to land areas and to ships, aircraft, fishing boats, and other vessels that will pass through the drop zone,” he said.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila has yet to issue a statement on the launch.
Año said there was a possibility the debris will float around and wash toward nearby coasts.
“Surface and aerial assets have been deployed early today to search for debris associated with the loud explosions caused by the Chinese rocket launch from Hainan Island,” said Año.
He advised the public to inform local authorities if they discover debris from the rocket.
“The public is advised against retrieving or coming in close contact with debris materials that may contain toxic fuel residues. We are coordinating closely with local authorities and coastal fishermen on this matter,” said Año.
China’s Xinhua news agency said the rocket was launched from a commercial spacecraft launch site in Hainan province at 6:21 p.m. Monday.
“It successfully placed the payloads, the seventh group of low-orbit internet satellites, into preset orbit … The launch marked the 587th mission of the Long March series carrier rockets, according to the launch site,” Xinhua said.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy’s spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said the Philippine Space Agency informed the military about the scheduled rocket launch a few days earlier.
“The Western Command (Westcom) reported the sighting of smoke trail. Initially it was upward, then downward. People heard sonic boom, loud sounds from the air,” Trinidad said in an interview with radio DZBB.
Trinidad said the rocket entered Philippine airspace.
“Its debris fell near the Tubbataha area,” he said, adding that Westcom has deployed ships and aircraft for the possible recovery of the debris which could be a “hazard to navigation.”
Trinidad said the military has not received any information about fishermen hit by the debris.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said five loud explosions, related to the rocket launch, were heard.
“The Philippine Coast Guard has confirmed the monitoring of rocket-related activity in the eastern part of Palawan on August 4, 2025, where a series of five loud explosions were — described as booming sounds — originating from the east, aligning with a previously issued public advisory regarding a scheduled launch from China,” Tarriela said in a statement.
“Upon immediate verification, a visible condensation trail was observed in the sky, consistent with rocket exhaust or propulsion,” he also said.
He said the PCG is taking action to ensure maritime safety and environmental protection in the Philippine waters.
Earlier yesterday, the National Bureau of Investigation yesterday said the aerial explosion heard across Puerto Princesa City on Monday night was likely caused by the atmospheric effects of China’s Long March 2 rocket launch.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago said he directed the bureau’s field office in Puerto Princesa to look into the incident after residents reported hearing a loud, reverberating boom from the sky, causing concern among them.
Santiago said initial investigation by the NBI revealed that the aerial sound was “consistent with an acoustic shockwave resulting from the rocket’s propulsion and stage separation.”
Authorities identified potential debris zone around 21 nautical miles off Puerto Princesa and 18 nautical miles from Tubbataha Reef.
Santiago appealed to the public not to panic, and to avoid picking up any suspected debris that may wash ashore due to the potential for possible toxic residues.
“Authorities are on the ground monitoring the situation. The safety of the public remains our top priority,” Santiago added.
Meanwhile, the military reported that 46 Chinese vessels were sighted at three features in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea last month, or three less than those monitored in these areas last June.
Trinidad said the decrease is “negligible” as it “due to maintenance and repair schedule.”
Trinidad said 28 (15 Navy ships and 13 Coast Guard vessels) of the 46 were spotted at Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc.
China gained control of the shoal in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels. – With Ashzel Hachero
Thirteen Chinese vessels were monitored at the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal — eight Coast Guard and five Navy.
Five Chinese vessels were also seen in the area of Pag-asa Island, which is also occupied by the Philippines — three Coast Guard and two Navy.
