LOOK: China allegedly building structure at Bajo de Masinloc

The Philippines is now verifying reports of an alleged structure being built by China at Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In a statement on Tuesday, maritime monitoring group SeaLight shared satellite images of the alleged structure, which is around 10 meters in diameter.

“Now SeaLight has obtained commercial satellite imagery captured on 28 May 2026 by Satellogic via our imagery partners at SkyfiApp, showing the southern entrance to Scarborough Shoal’s lagoon. The inset is a magnified crop of the same scene,” SeaLight said.

“At the tip of the southern reef rim, the imagery reveals a small, reflective object clearly distinguishable on the reef flat near the lagoon entrance,” it added.

GMA News Online sought comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila but it has yet to respond as of posting time.

The structure is “a persistent feature,” according to SeaLight. It is located at or near the lagoon entrance.

However, SeaLight cannot yet determine conclusively whether this is a fixed structure, a reef‑mounted marker, a buoy‑type device, a monitoring instrument or another type of object.

SeaLight director Ray Powell said, “If this object is confirmed to be a fixed installation, it would raise questions about compliance with the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which calls for self‑restraint and avoiding actions that complicate disputes or alter the status quo on contested, uninhabited features.”

“Moreover, history shows that small structures on previously uninhabited features are rarely endpoints for China. If so, this would mark a serious new step at an especially sensitive location for the Philippine.”

In a press briefing, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson for WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the military is still verifying the information.

“The report is still raw. It is still being validated by different government agencies. And the moment that this is validated or debunked then the appropriate statement will be issued by the [National Task Force West Philippine Sea],” he said.

Trinidad reported an increased presence of Chinese vessels around Bajo de Masinloc from May 26 to June 1, monitoring 20 China Coast Guard and seven People's Liberation Army Navy vessels.

He pointed out that the increase in the number of Chinese vessels in Bajo de Masinloc was probably in response to the joint sail of the Philippines with other countries.

On May 30, Defense Secretary Teodoro said the Philippines is validating “raw information” about alleged new structures placed by China on Scarborough Shoal.

In September last year, China approved the creation of a “national nature reserve” at Bajo de Masinloc.

Bajo de Masinloc is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and is considered within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

EXPLAINER: What is Scarborough Shoal and why is it important?

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as the West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim.

The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago, including the Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has refused to recognize the decision. —AOL, GMA News