PH monitors minerals, Chinese influx amid Bajo de Masinloc structure concerns

Philippine authorities are monitoring mineral resources in the country as well as the influx of foreign nationals from China, following the alleged construction by China at Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Retired Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, who serves as the Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson for the WPS, said this move came after materials used for reclamation were reportedly sourced from features in the West Philippine Sea.

"'Yung rare Earth minerals na binabantayan natin include the influx of foreign nationals coming from Mainland China. Marami itong binabantayan natin sa lupa natin, hindi lamang sa karagatan,” Trinidad told Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.

(We are monitoring the rare earth minerals and the influx of foreign nationals coming from Mainland China. We are closely monitoring many areas in our territory, not only in our waters but also on land.)

“'Yung sinasabing lupang itinatambak o 'yung ginagamit sa reclamation ay galing sa atin, ang na-monitor natin ay 'yung mga rarest mineral o black sand mining na kinukuha sa atin at inuuwi sa mainland China. 'Yung iba, pwedeng inilagay sa West Philippine Sea, pero ang unang pinagkuhanan nila ay kapaligiran din ng ating features.Massive reclamation ito,” he added.

(The soil being used for reclamation is sourced from the Philippines. We have monitored the extraction of rare minerals, including black sand mining, which are taken from our country and brought to Mainland China. Some of these materials may be used in the West Philippine Sea, but they are first extracted from areas surrounding our own features. This is a massive reclamation activity.)

Trinidad further said they are exploring ways to regulate dredging activities through legislation, as China has been engaging with local government units to conduct dredging through black sand mining or the exploitation of our rare earth minerals.

The Philippines verified reports of an alleged structure built by China at Bajo de Masinloc after 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.

The Philippines filed a diplomatic protest over the movable floating platform allegedly deployed by China within Bajo de Masinloc in the WPS.

The National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) on Wednesday reported the removal of the floating platform and the departure of a Chinese research vessel from Bajo de Masinloc following consecutive maritime patrol flights.

On Saturday, four Chinese warships confronted the Philippine Navy’s BRP Diego Silang during its maritime patrol en route to Bajo de Masinloc.

During the encounter, Chinese and Philippine forces exchanged radio challenges, with a Chinese warship warning the Philippine vessel to leave the area immediately.

Despite being outnumbered, the BRP Diego Silang pressed on with its mission, which was concluded without any untoward incident.

Trinidad said the Philippine government could once again file a new case against China before the Arbitral Tribunal in connection with the recent encounters.

“I believe right now, that one of the options that the government could undertake is to file a new case and I believe ayaw naman ng kabilang side 'yun kaya nag-iingat din sila (the other side does not want that). But we have every reason and every right to file a new one,” Trinidad said.

Earlier this week, retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza expressed optimism for the Philippines should the government file a new arbitration case against China over the continued presence of Chinese assets in the WPS.

“Malaki ang chances natin (we have big chances),” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

“Ang kaigihan, ang strength, o ang lakas ng kaso natin ay magmula doon sa una nating ipinanalo. So mali po ‘yung haka-haka na baka matalo pa tayo. Paaano ka matatalo eh nanalo na tayo sa unang kaso,” said Jardeleza, a former solicitor general who was part of the team that brought the country's arbitration case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2013

(The strength of our case would come from our first victory. So the speculation that we might lose is wrong. How can you lose when we already won the first case?)

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. —KG, GMA News