President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is aware of reports regarding a new Chinese structure inside the lagoon of Bajo de Masinloc and remains committed to pursuing diplomatic and legal measures to protect the Philippines' rights in the West Philippine Sea, Malacañang said Thursday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President continues to uphold a rules-based approach in addressing developments in disputed maritime areas.
"Alam po ng Pangulo ang nangyayari, at nananatili pong malinaw ang kaniyang paninindigan na unahin ang paggamit ng diplomatiko at ligal na hakbang sa pagharap ng ganitong klaseng sitwasyon (The President is aware of what is happening, and his position remains clear that diplomatic and legal measures should be the primary means in addressing this kind of situation)," Castro said in a Palace briefing.
Castro noted that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has already filed a diplomatic protest against the floating movable platform reportedly installed by China in Bajo de Masinloc.
"So, tuloy pa rin po ang ating paninindigan kung ano ang ating karapatan at ano ang dapat nating ipaglaban (We remain firm in asserting our rights and in defending what rightfully belongs to us)," she said.
Asked about concerns that the Philippines may be gradually losing control over the shoal, Castro said the President remains steadfast in defending national interests.
"Hindi po hahayaan ng Pangulo na mangyari po iyan. Alam po natin ano ang totoong stance ng Pangulo pagdating sa interes ng mga Pilipino at interes natin dito sa ating West Philippine Sea (The President will not allow that to happen. We know the President’s firm stance when it comes to the interests of Filipinos and our interests in the West Philippine Sea)," she said.
The statement came after the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea confirmed the presence of a square floating structure inside the lagoon of Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal.
According to the task force, aerial and maritime surveillance operations confirmed the structure's presence, along with several other unidentified objects, including buoys and antennas.
The DFA earlier described the structure as a violation of Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, and called for its removal.
This came as tensions persist in the West Philippine Sea, where Manila has repeatedly protested Chinese activities that it says violate Philippine sovereignty and the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated Beijing's expansive maritime claims.
