THE PNP Maritime Group yesterday said the submersible drone recovered off the waters of Masbate allegedly came from China based on research made by their unit.
“Doon sa research namin (In our research), basically, it came from China. So, it is a Chinese-made submersible drone,” PNP Maritime Group director Brig. General Jonathan Cabal told the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones during the hearing on the drone found by fisherfolks in the waters of Barangay Inawaran, San Pascual, Masbate last December 30.
To date, no country or entity has claimed ownership of the submersible drone.
Cabal said the drone is of military-grade, noting that no commercial enterprise uses the type of drone that was recovered.
“That’s why we surmised that this is not commercially available but for military-grade or scientific purposes,” he said.
Defense Undersecretary for Strategic Planning and Assessment Ignacio Madriaga said the recovered drone was a “data gathering equipment” capable of gathering data for commercial, scientific, and military use.
Madriaga said that aside from conducting scientific research, there is a big possibility that it was also used for surveillance or reconnaissance operations.
“We are a gateway to the Western Pacific from the South China Sea, and we have a lot of strategic passages from one location to another. So, all the information that can be gathered regarding the characteristics of the current, the tide, the hydrography, between all those passages between our main islands would be important to anyone who needs them,” he said.
He added that with the current territorial dispute the Philippines has with other countries, particularly China, it is not far-fetched that the drone was also used for spying activities.
“Ito po ay isang (This is a) data gathering (equipment) and all the data that can be gathered can be considered as intelligence and information that had multi-purpose use in the military. As far as the defense department is concerned, we are treating it as a national security matter whether it is unarmed (or) uncrewed,” Madriaga said.
“We consider this as a violation of our territory and it’s a matter of national security for the Department of National Defense,” he added.
Madriaga said the problem now is that authorities still cannot ascertain which country owns the submersible drone, expressing the belief that no government will ever claim it.
DIPLOMATIC PROTEST
After Cabal’s statement, Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said they are eyeing the filing of a diplomatic protest against China in connection with the issue.
He said that under Article 245 of the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas (UNCLOS), expressed consent should be given by a country before other countries can conduct marine scientific research in its territorial waters.
He said the DFA is the agency tasked to evaluate and decide if the Philippines will allow any country to conduct marine scientific research in the country’s territorial waters.
He said that since 1996, the DFA has given 68 permissions for the conduct of such research, most of which were requested by Japan for its studies in the waters of Mindanao.
He also said that foreign countries are required to be accompanied by their local counterparts during the conduct of the research, adding that local researchers must have access to all information gathered during the study.
De Vega expressed doubts that China could have gotten authority to use the drone for marine scientific research in the country.
“That’s a violation. If China (owns it), if they will admit that they own it, we’re going to file a diplomatic protest,” De Vega said in Filipino.
‘CONTINUE FISHING’
The Philippine Navy yesterday urged Filipinos to continue fishing in the West Philippine Sea amid the continuing presence of China’s “monster ship” in the area, specifically near Zambales.
In a radio interview, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad assured Filipino fishermen that the military is ready to protect them.
“These challenges do not speak for the entire maritime domain of our country,” said Trinidad, referring to the presence of the Chinese Coast Guard vessel 5901, the world’s largest coast guard vessel.
“We encourage our fishermen to continue fishing…We’re doing everything to be able to protect and secure our fisherfolks,” he said.
At present, Trinidad said the military, specifically the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force, continue to conduct maritime patrols and surveillance flights in the West Philippine Sea.
The monster ship and two other Chinese vessels have been monitored within 60 to 90 nautical miles from Zambales conducting patrols since January 4.
“There’s only one China Coast Guard deployment there (as of yesterday). It is not escorted by any Chinese maritime militia,” said Philippine Coast Guard for the West Philippine Sea spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela during a television interview.
Tarriela also disclosed that PCG vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua was pulled out of the area, leaving only one PCG vessel, BRP Gabriela Silang, monitoring the Chinese monster ship.
“As of this morning (Wednesday), BRP Teresa Magbanua was already relieved in place. It is on her way back to the port of Manila,” he said without elaborating why the PCG was recalled.
“Right now, it’s only BRP Gabriela Silang which is currently monitoring the Chinese Coast Guard monster ship,” he added.
Tarriela said the PCG continues to issue radio challenges to the Chinese vessel, stressing the latter’s illegal presence inside the country’s 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone.
He said the Chinese have been responding that they are “conducting a maritime law enforcement (operation) because they have jurisdiction (over the area).”
He said this was the first time a Chinese vessel has been closest to the country’s coastline.
“This particular deployment is questionable because this is the first time that the China Coast Guard deployed that close in our exclusive economic zone,” he said.
“Secondly, this is also the first time that they have stayed there for a certain period of time already. So today, January 15, they are deploying that monster ship for almost 11 days already. So, this has never happened before,” he added.
‘FULLY JUSTIFIED’
In a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun yesterday defended the presence of its monster ship in the waters of Zambales, insisting that China’s actions are “fully justified.”
Guo said there is nothing illegal with the actions of the CCG in the South China Sea.
“Let me reiterate that China’s sovereignty and rights and interests in the South China Sea were established in the long course of history and are solidly grounded in history and the law and compliant with the international law and practice,” he said.
“China Coast Guard (CCG) conducts patrols and law enforcement activities in relevant waters in accordance with the law, which is fully justified,” he stressed.
In turn, the Chinese official asked the Philippine government to cease all its activities and public statements related to the territorial dispute.
“We call on the Philippines once again to immediately stop all infringement activities, provocations, and false accusations, and stop all its actions that jeopardize peace and stability and complicate the situation in the South China Sea,” said Guo. – With Victor Reyes and Gerard Naval