AFP: Info on Chinese structures in Panatag under validation

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June 3, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Circulating information about China building structures on Panatag Shoal is still being verified, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said yesterday.

Retired rear admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP’s spokesman for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), said there was a report on the matter, but such has yet to be confirmed.

“There was a report about a possible structure or equipment on BDM. This is currently being validated by different government agencies. At the appropriate time, this will be answered by the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea,” Trinidad said, referring to Bajo de Masinloc, the other name for Panatag.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. revealed over the weekend that the Philippines has received information indicating that China has built structures in Panatag, also called Scarborough Shoal.

“Bajo de Masinloc is a dynamic area. Even if developments are still small, these are being monitored,” Teodoro said on the sidelines of the 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

The AFP has repeatedly said that the information is still being validated and that the NTF-WPS will be the one to release a statement as soon as the verification completed.

Asked if the increase in the number of Chinese vessels near Panatag is connected to the “raw information” or if China is protecting something, Trinidad said such could be related to the multilateral cooperation activity or combined naval exercises conducted in the area last week between the AFP and the United States Indo-Pacific Command.

Trinidad refused to speculate on the possible action to be taken by the military once the “raw information” is confirmed, stressing everything is still being validated.

“The moment it is validated or debunked, the appropriate statement will be issued by the NTF-WPS,” he said. 

In its report for the month of May, the AFP said the Philippine Navy has monitored a total of 82 Chinese vessels in four key maritime features in the WPS including 39 in Panatag, 17 in?Ayungin, 10 in Sabina and 16 on Pag-asa Island.

The AFP said the presence of Chinese vessels underscored continued illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive activities that undermine the rules-based international order, and challenged the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction within its maritime domain.

“Such actions contribute to regional tensions and highlight the importance of continued vigilance and adherence to international law,” the AFP said.