NSC exec warns vs. Beijing construction in Bajo de Masinloc

Any attempt by China to undertake construction to militarize Bajo de Masinloc will be considered as crossing a “red line,” National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said yesterday.

“What keeps us awake at night is China, since they have presence in the area, turning the shoal into an artificial island or militarizing it. That is going to be very troubling. That is the red line for the Philippines,” Malaya said during a virtual forum organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute.

“The legal status of the shoal as part of Philippine territory is clear. Therefore, that is the red line for the Philippines,” he added.

During the same forum, Ray Powell, director of security think tank SeaLight and a former United States Air Force officer, said China has increased its forces to block Philippine access to Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, in the past 12 months.

At least 78 Chinese vessels – both China Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia – were recorded during the past 12 months, along with 1,573,000 Automatic Identification System (AIS) broadcasts, around the shoal.

Powell noted that “intense activity expanded dramatically” from the 57 Chinese vessels and 724,000 AIS broadcasts monitored from May 2023 to April 2024.

“The main takeaway is essentially the doubling of Chinese activities in Scarborough Shoal in the last 12 months and the fact that they continue to push further and further east,” Powell said.

Malaya acknowledged that China has conducted dangerous maneuvers.

“The risk to our servicemen is there, but it is a risk worth taking because, clearly, the shoal belongs to us and we must fly the flag and stand for international law,” the NSC executive said.

“Notwithstanding those challenges for and behalf of our fishermen, the territory and integrity of the Philippines, we will continue to ramp up this presence by sending our ships regularly for maritime patrol, as well as air patrols to fly the flag and send a strong message that we will not be deterred in asserting our rights and jurisdiction in Bajo de Masinloc,” he added.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said security challenges in the South China Sea are “unlikely to diminish anytime soon.”

“The situation becomes even more complex due to potential flashpoints in the area which continue to evolve amid rising geopolitical and geoeconomic tensions and shifting global security dynamics,” Año said in the same forum.

“Disregarding the 2016 arbitral ruling, which effectively invalidated its maritime claims in the Bajo de Masinloc, China went on conducting aggressive actions not just in Scarborough but also in other areas. China fishing vessels, China Coast Guard vessels, and even People’s Liberation Army Navy ships have become permanent fixtures in the area with their swarming and unlawful presence and activities,” he added.

The Philippine Coast Guard, for its part, expressed concern over the presence of a Chinese research vessel near Ilocos Norte, describing it as “worrisome” due to its advanced deep-sea mapping capabilities, which could facilitate submarine deployment.

According to Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, the vessel, identified as Tan Suo 3, was conducting unauthorized marine scientific research within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“It’s worrisome because these Chinese research vessels have the capability for deep-sea mapping. And there is a possibility that they are also doing this kind of deep-sea mapping in support of their submarine navigation,” he said.

Tan Suo 3 entered the country’s EEZ on May 1, located 92 nautical miles off Burgos, Ilocos Norte. The PCG deployed the BRP Teresa Magbanua and an aircraft to monitor and escort the vessel out of the EEZ.