Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781496195668Screen Shot 2026-06-15 at 12.02.59 PM.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The floating structure earlier confirmed by authorities is seen inside the lagoon of Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. <em>PCG photo via Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News</em><br/></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — China&#x27;s <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/10/pcg-gives-details-on-chinese-floating-structure-seen-near-bajo-de-masinloc-1301">floating structure in Bajo de Masinloc</a> or Scarborough Shoal could be used by Beijing to transform the fish-rich shoal into an artificial island, a maritime law expert warned Monday.</p><p>The Philippines detected the floating structure at the shoal in May and filed a formal protest with China this month to oppose its presence there.</p><p>Beijing captured control of the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 following a standoff with Manila. An international court in 2016 ruled that the shoal is a common fishing ground, which China ignores.</p><p>Lawyer Jay Batongbacal, director of the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said that while the floating structure can gather information useful for legitimate marine science, it can also be used to study the shoal itself, its structure, as well as the movement of the waters there. This information can serve as &quot;a preparatory study for building a structure or perhaps even transforming the shoal into an artificial island,&quot; he told ANC.</p><p>The presence of the structure <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/13/floating-structure-shifts-renewing-concerns-over-chinese-activities-in-wps-1646">raises concern</a>, Batongbacal said, because back in the 1980s, China used marine science as an excuse to occupy Fiery Cross Reef, which is now one of the three big artificial islands with a military base in the South China Sea, just outside the West Philippine Sea. </p><p>He also pointed out that Mischief Reef itself was occupied by China on the pretext that it was only establishing fishermen&#x27;s shelters there. Later, Beijing tried to justify their occupation of Mischief Reef on the basis of science, as well as other civilian activities, like search and rescue, he said.</p><p>&quot;So, the concern, of course, is that this is just another step note there, again, using that old playbook of starting with ostensibly legitimate activities, in order to establish incrementally, first regular and permanent presence, and then which they will then use to eventually construct an artificial island,&quot; the professor said.</p><p>&quot;We should not wait for years before we take action to oppose this type of activity,&quot; he said.</p><p>The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it remains vigilant on China&#x27;s floating structure at Scarborough Shoal while the Philippine Coast Guard continues to conduct maritime domain awareness flights and monitor activities in the area.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PH STUDYING ANOTHER CASE VS CHINA</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, Batongbacal said the government is studying a second case against China &quot;very carefully,&quot; noting that taking Beijing again before an international body is &quot;not a simple thing.&quot;</p><p>The Philippines next month will be marking the first decade since it won the West Philippine Sea arbitration case against China.</p><p>&quot;You do not want to file cases recklessly without even assessing whether you have a good chance of winning,&quot; Batongbacal said.</p><p>He also noted that the option open for the Philippines is not just another arbitration because there are also other legal mechanisms and instruments that can be explored, such as conciliation, mediation, and fact-finding.</p><p>Government agencies under the National Maritime Council are <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/14/gov-t-to-make-sure-2nd-wps-case-vs-china-foolproof-nmc-1842">studying the legal options</a>.</p><p>&quot;So we need not limit ourselves to filing another case. And those other options can be just as effective, as long as they are part. You shouldn&#x27;t look at the arbitration as the around silver bullet. It never is. It can only be part of something much larger and much broader,&quot; he said. <strong>—With reports from Bianca Dava and Allison Co, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T0cZhogZQEo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong><br/></div>

<p>China's floating structure in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal could be used by Beijing to transform the fish-rich shoal into an artificial island, a maritime law expert warned Monday.</p>

China's floating structure in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal could be used by Beijing to transform the fish-rich shoal into an artificial island, a maritime law expert warned Monday.

China floating structure may be used to transform Scarborough into artificial island—expert

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China floating structure may be used to transform Scarborough into artificial island—expert

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 15, 2026 12:09 PM PHT

Read More:

China Floating Structure

Scarborough Shoal

China

West Philippine Sea

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