Ched Rick Gatchalian

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela during a joint NTF-WPS press conference at the PCG Office in Manila on March 6, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

Structures in Bajo de Masinloc not new, seen since 2010: PCG

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Structures spotted in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal are not new, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Thursday, citing satellite images.</p><p>According to Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, satellite imagery showed the presence of the structures dating as far back as 2010, years before the 2012 standoff there between the Philippines and China.</p><p>“This is not something new. This might just be a debris of a plan to construct a structure there,” Tarriela told reporters on the sidelines of a forum organized by the Stratbase Institute in Makati City.</p><p>“Even before the standoff, the [structures have] been there already.” </p><div><a href="http://abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/13/pcg-conducts-maritime-domain-awareness-flight-over-bajo-de-masinloc-1920"><strong>PCG conducts maritime domain awareness flight over Bajo de Masinloc</strong></a></div><p>The decision on what to do with the structures is up to the National Maritime Council (NMC) and the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), Tarriela said.</p><p>Bajo de Masinloc, which is located 124 nautical miles west of mainland Zambales, is well within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic (EEZ).</p><p>In contrast, it is 472 nautical miles from Hainan Province, China’s nearest land mass.</p><p>The shoal, however, has been under Beijing’s control since 2012.</p><div> </div><div><strong>FLOATING BUOYS IN THE SHOAL</strong></div><p>Tarriela said among the significant recent changes within Bajo de Masinloc are the installation of two floating buoys by Chinese maritime forces and the removal of the floating barrier earlier spotted in the area.</p><p>“There is a second floating buoy na nilagay sa northern part ng Bajo de Masinloc. The other day, there was only one inside the shoal,” the official said.</p><p>He added the China Coast Guard&#x27;s removal of the barrier shows they only put it up when there are many Filipino fishers and Philippine government vessels in the area.</p><p>Tarriela stressed that China’s installation of floating buoys constitutes a violation of international law.</p><p>“They do not have legal authority to install those buoys in Bajo de Masinloc,” he said. He dcelined to comment on whether the Philippines will remove the buoys.</p><div><strong> </strong></div><div><strong>CODE OF CONDUCT IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA</strong></div><p>Tarriela also reiterated the PCG’s support for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in fast-tracking the long-delayed Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/12/china-vessel-deliberately-rammed-philippine-ship-pcg-1125"><strong>China vessel &#x27;deliberately rammed&#x27; PH ship providing cover for fishermen: PCG</strong></a></div><p>“This is a very big development should this be finalized already, especially next year since we are the chairman of the ASEAN Summit,” the official said.</p><p>The Philippines will assume the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in 2026.</p><p>Moreover, Tarriela said discussions on a possible renewed joint coast guard cooperation between the Philippines and China are being reviewed by concerned government agencies.</p><p>“As long as cooperation is truly cooperation, it would be positive—but nothing is final yet,” he added.</p>

<p>The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday said again clarifies the structures spotted in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea are not new.</p>

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday said again clarifies the structures spotted in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea are not new.