MANILA – There are no signs that the Chinese research vessel spotted for as long as 28 days at Bajo de Masinloc (also known as Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) conducted drilling operations, a ranking Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) official said on Tuesday.
"On the Chinese research vessel that was spotted for 25 (to) 28 days in Bajo de Masinloc, the presence and the track would indicate that they were conducting surveillance or research activities. As to any report of drilling activities, there was none that was confirmed nor were there any reports given by our monitoring capabilities," retired Navy reservist Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesperson for the WPS, said during a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Trinidad said the AFP “is in close coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on this matter.”
In a related development, Trinidad said a total of 48 Chinese coast guard and naval vessels were spotted in four key features in the WPS from Sept. 8 to 14, 2026.
He said eight China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel were spotted in Ayungin Shoal, 15 CCG and six People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships in Bajo de Masinloc; three CCG and four PLAN at Escoda Shoal, and six CCG and six PLAN at Pag-asa Islands. (PNA)
