DFA eyes filing protest over recovered underwater drones in PH waters

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday said it is considering filing a protest over the underwater drones recovered in the Philippine waters.

“Under Article 245 of UNCLOS, the expressed consent from the coastal state is needed for a foreign country to conduct marine scientific research in its territorial sea,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in a Senate hearing on the latest discovery of submersible drone in San Pascual, Masbate.

“Violation 'yan so if China has it, well, we're gonna protest instead kung aaminin ninyong inyo ang drone na 'yan (That's a violation so if China has it, well, we're gonna protest instead if you admit that the drone is yours),” he added.

According to De Vega, no countries have claimed ownership of the underwater drones so far.

Philippine National Police - Maritime Group director Police Brigadier General Jonathan Cabal said that based on their research, the submersible drone recovered in Masbate came from China.

“Doon sa research namin (Based on our research), basically it came from China. So it is Chinese-made submersible drone,” Cabal told the senators.

“Basically, sa ating commercial enterprises wala namang gumagamit ng ganitong submersible drones. That's why we surmised that this is not commercially available but of a military-grade or scientific purposes,” he added.

(Basically, our commercial enterprises do not use submersible drones like this. That's why we surmised that this is not commercially available but of a military-grade or for scientific purposes.)

On Tuesday, the Philippine Navy said a total of five underwater drones  have been recovered in various parts of the Philippines.

Philippine Navy spokesperson for West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said two underwater drones were recovered in Calayan Island in the Babuyan Islands group; one in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte; another in Initao, Misamis Oriental; and the most recent discovery in San Pascual, Masbate last December 30, 2024.

The recovered underwater drones have to undergo a forensic process which takes six to eight weeks, according to Trinidad.

So far, only the drone recovered in Calayan Island has yielded results. Trinidad said the submersible drone recovered in Calayan Island could have military purposes and applications.

Trinidad refused to divulge more information about the drone recovered in Calayan Island, saying that “the report will be given out by the appropriate government agency.” —AOL, GMA Integrated News