The Philippines has taken diplomatic action against China after aerial monitoring confirmed the “illegal” presence of a floating structure with antenna within Scarborough Shoal, locally called Bajo de Masinloc, a government task force said on Tuesday. The report was carried by BusinessWorld.
The structure, identified through surveillance flights, is considered a violation of Philippine sovereignty and international law. Manila has formally lodged a protest through diplomatic channels, demanding the immediate removal of the floating installation from the disputed waters in the South China Sea.
The task force did not provide further details on China's response. Scarborough Shoal has been a flashpoint in the ongoing territorial dispute between the two countries, with the Philippines asserting its exclusive economic zone under the 2016 arbitral ruling.