AFP finds no evidence of Chinese drilling at Bajo de Masinloc

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
September 16, 2026

Photo courtesy: Philippine News Agency

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it has found no confirmed evidence that a Chinese research vessel monitored near Bajo de Masinloc, or Scarborough Shoal, conducted drilling operations during its nearly month-long stay in the area.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the vessel’s movements suggested surveillance or research activity, but Philippine monitoring systems did not detect or confirm any drilling.

The vessel, identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as the Haiyang Dizhi Shihao, spent around 28 days near Bajo de Masinloc after entering the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in August. The PCG earlier said the ship is capable of seabed coring and drilling and assessed its movement patterns as consistent with marine scientific research. It also said the Department of Foreign Affairs had confirmed that no Philippine permit had been issued for such research.

The AFP said it continues to coordinate with the Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in monitoring activities in the area.

Bajo de Masinloc remains one of the most closely watched flashpoints in the West Philippine Sea. The shoal is located about 120 nautical miles west of Luzon and is claimed by both the Philippines and China. The 2016 South China Sea arbitral tribunal did not rule on sovereignty over the shoal, but classified Scarborough Shoal as a high-tide feature that can generate a territorial sea and recognized traditional fishing rights there for Filipino, Chinese and Vietnamese fishermen.

China continues to assert sovereignty over what it calls Huangyan Dao and rejects the 2016 arbitral ruling, while the Philippines maintains that the award is binding and forms part of the legal basis for its maritime rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Meanwhile, the AFP said 48 Chinese coast guard and naval vessels were monitored from September 8 to 14 across four key West Philippine Sea features: Ayungin Shoal, Bajo de Masinloc, Escoda Shoal and Pag-asa Islands.

Of the total, 21 vessels were monitored around Bajo de Masinloc, including 15 China Coast Guard ships and six vessels of the People’s Liberation Army Navy.