SENATE majority leader Francis Tolentino wants the Senate to investigate the circumstances related to the recovery of a submersible drone off the waters of Barangay Inarawan in San Pascual, Masbate last December 30.
In filing Senate Resolution No. 1267, Tolentino said the inquiry would focus on the “origins and operational capabilities” of the drone and it’s operation’s “compliance with Philippine maritime laws.”
He said it is important for senators to ascertain if laws were violated when the drone was used “considering its discovery inside our archipelagic waters over which the Philippines has sovereignty.”
“There is an urgency in determining the drone’s origins and its compliance with Philippine maritime laws, specifically the Philippine Maritime Zones Act (RA 12064) and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Law (RA 12065) as its presence raises critical concerns regarding its origin and implication on our country’s territorial integrity and national security,” Tolentino said.
He noted that the Philippine Navy is already investigating the incident to determine the submersible drone’s “operational status and intent.”
“If proven, if the discovered submersible drone was used by a foreign state to conduct underwater surveillance, be it for military or as part of a marine scientific research without the consent of the Republic of the Philippines, the same constitute a violation of our sovereignty,” he said.
Last December 30, three fishermen discovered the 12-foot submersible drone off the waters of Barangay Inarawan.
Police Brig. General Andre Dizon, chief of the Bicol Police Regional Office, said the deactivated submersible drone had Chinese markings on it, indicating what he supposed was a Chinese underwater navigation and communication system.
In the resolution, Tolentino said the newly enacted Philippine Maritime Zones Act provides that “foreign vessels have no navigational rights in the internal waters of the Philippines, unless expressly authorized by the Philippine government.”
“Section 10 of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act mandates that if the submersible drone was used for marine scientific research, the same must benefit the Filipino people and requires government authorization,” he said.
He added that “Section 13 of the said law provides that the Philippines shall recognize the rights and privileges of foreign vessels and aircraft in its maritime zones under conditions of reciprocity and mutual respect and reserves the rights to take necessary legal and diplomatic actions against States whose vessels and aircraft do not abide by, or act inconsistently with, the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas) and international law.”
In a press conference after he filed the resolution, Tolentino said the Senate will invite various resource persons, including those from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of National Defense, among others, when it probes the incident.
He also said he has been informed that it would take at least eight weeks for the Philippine Navy to complete its probe.
He added that the recovered drone, which was yellow in color, could have been used for marine scientific research, pointing out that red and yellow drones are used for marine scientific research while black-colored ones are used for military activities.
Tolentino said there is a possibility that the submersible drone was launched from a mother ship since drones have the capability to operate within a 10-kilometer radius from its source, noting that it has been emitting signals even if its batteries are already drained.
He also supposed that the drone could have been dropped by an aircraft into Philippine waters to test the salinity of the surrounding waters and the waves or under current or discover marine resources beneath the waters.
Or, he likewise speculated, the drone could have just dropped somewhere else but was washed away to Masbate during the typhoons that hit the country last year.
Tolentino called on Filipino fishermen to surrender to authorities any similar objects that they may come across at sea and not take them home as souvenirs.
