
Rocket debris with Chinese markings recovered from Occidental Mindoro shoreline — PCG
Rocket debris with Chinese markings were recovered from the shoreline of Sitio Gunting, Barangay Bonbon, Looc, Occidental Mindoro on Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Friday.
'The debris, measuring about 10 feet wide and 14 feet long, was made of alloy material and bore the [People's Republic of China] flag,' the PCG said in a statement.
According to the PCG, a 50-year-old fisherman from Barangay Binacas discovered the object while fishing one nautical mile off Barangay Bonbon.
Around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, the Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS) Lubang received a call from the police about the fisherman who retrieved the floating debris.
The PCG said this debris was allegedly linked to the Long March 7A rocket launch by China between July 15 to 17.
For the retrieval operation, the PCG coordinated with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and barangay government authorities.
'The joint PCG-PDRRMO team confirmed the debris' presence,' the PCG said.
According to the PCG, the debris was secured at Sitio Balaguin, Barangay Maliig around 2:40 p.m. for safekeeping and proper disposition.
'The PCG continues to remind fishermen, coastal community residents, and other maritime stakeholders to immediately report sightings of unusual floating objects to the nearest Coast Guard unit for appropriate actions,' the agency said. — BAP, GMA Integrated News

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


GMA Network
3 days ago
- GMA Network
Rocket debris with Chinese markings recovered from Occidental Mindoro shoreline — PCG
The debris that had Chinese markings was secured at Sitio Balaguin, Barangay Maliig, Lubang, Occidental Mindoro, for safekeeping and proper disposition. Photo from Philippine Coast Guard Rocket debris with Chinese markings were recovered from the shoreline of Sitio Gunting, Barangay Bonbon, Looc, Occidental Mindoro on Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Friday. 'The debris, measuring about 10 feet wide and 14 feet long, was made of alloy material and bore the [People's Republic of China] flag,' the PCG said in a statement. According to the PCG, a 50-year-old fisherman from Barangay Binacas discovered the object while fishing one nautical mile off Barangay Bonbon. Around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, the Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS) Lubang received a call from the police about the fisherman who retrieved the floating debris. The PCG said this debris was allegedly linked to the Long March 7A rocket launch by China between July 15 to 17. For the retrieval operation, the PCG coordinated with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and barangay government authorities. 'The joint PCG-PDRRMO team confirmed the debris' presence,' the PCG said. According to the PCG, the debris was secured at Sitio Balaguin, Barangay Maliig around 2:40 p.m. for safekeeping and proper disposition. 'The PCG continues to remind fishermen, coastal community residents, and other maritime stakeholders to immediately report sightings of unusual floating objects to the nearest Coast Guard unit for appropriate actions,' the agency said. — BAP, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
4 days ago
- GMA Network
China Coast Guard ship waits outside Manila Bay; research vessel at Bajo de Masinloc
Chinese vessels were spotted off Luzon and appeared poised to intercept Philippine ships heading to Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal on Friday morning, according to a maritime expert. "China seems determined to intercept and escort any Philippine ship moving in Scarborough Shoal's general direction," former United States Air Force official and ex-Defense Attaché Ray Powell said on X (formerly Twitter). According to him, China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 5303 was escorting Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ship BRP Datu Matanam Taradapit on its way back to the Sual Fish Port in Pangasinan. "The Philippines' BFAR ship BRP Datu Matanam Taradapit is on its way back to Sual Fish Port in Pangasinan after checking in on Reed Bank, Iroquois Reef, and the PH bases at Lawak and Patag Islands," Powell said. "It has picked up a Chinese 'escort' (China Coast Guard 5303) as it passed Scarborough to make sure it goes home and doesn't decide to visit again," he added. Powell also reported that another Chinese vessel CCG 3306 was spotted outside Manila Bay allegedly waiting for the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) ship BRP Cape San Agustin to come out. "A second Chinese escort has been assigned to the PCG's BRP Cape San Agustin. CCG 3306 waits just outside Manila Bay for it to emerge," the maritime expert said. Unusual Powell also noted the "surprise and unusual" deployment of Chinese research ship Xiang Yang Hong 10 in Bajo de Masinloc. "It left Fiery Cross Reef on 12 August (the day after the collision) and just arrived one kilometer south of Scarborough this morning," Powell said. "Its purpose there is unknown, but its capabilities include deep-sea surveying, resource exploration and deploying autonomous underwater vehicles," he added. 4?A second ????????escort has been assigned to the ????????#Philippines Coast Guard's BRP Cape San Augustin. China Coast Guard 3306 waits just outside Manila Bay for it to emerge. #China seems determined to intercept & escort any Philippine ship moving in #ScarboroughShoal's general… — Ray Powell (@GordianKnotRay) August 15, 2025 Powell said the number of Chinese vessels in Bajo de Masinloc is fewer now, following a temporary increase on August 5 with at least eight CCG ships and 14 Chinese maritime militia vessels. At present, three CCG ships and eight Chinese maritime militia vessels are in the area, he said. Most of them are returning to China but two of the militia vessels appear headed to Spratly Islands. "This suggests Beijing had intelligence that the Philippines was planning Monday's 'Kadiwa' operation and augmented its force in anticipation," he said. GMA News Online has sought comment from the PCG about the reported presence of Chinese ships, but it has yet to provide a statement as of posting time. August 11 incident Last Monday, the PCG and BFAR headed to Bajo de Masinloc to distribute aid to local fishermen as part of the Kadiwa program. However, several Chinese vessels harassed Philippine vessels by firing a water cannon, performing dangerous maneuvers, and shadowing. According to the PCG, People's Liberation Army Navy ship 164 and CCG vessel 3104 collided while they were chasing PCG's BRP Suluan. The CCG vessel sustained substantial damage, rendering it unseaworthy, while the flagpole of the PCG vessel was also damaged. Bajo de Masinloc is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and is considered within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). 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 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 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. — VDV, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
5 days ago
- GMA Network
China fighter jet intercepts PH aircraft; warship tails 2 US Navy ships
American navy ship USS Higgins is seen from the Philippines' BRP Teresa Magbanua in the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD A Chinese fighter jet intercepted and conducted dangerous maneuvers against a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) aircraft near Bajo de Masinloc on Wednesday morning. In a press briefing, PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela said PCG's Caravan aircraft was conducting a maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight to check Chinese presence after Monday's incident in the area. "While we were also conducting an MDA flight, we experienced being intercepted by a Chinese J-15 fighter jet," Tarriela said. PCG Conducts MDA Flight Over Bajo De Masinloc The Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, has deployed this morning the PCG Caravan aircraft to conduct a Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) flight over the Bajo De Masinloc (BDM) area. The mission… — Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) August 13, 2025 "Approximately, it came close as near as 500 feet. And for 20 minutes, it conducted dangerous maneuvers with such distance. And even above the aircraft of the Coast Guard aircraft at an approximate height of 200 feet,' he added. PLAN vessel 553 issued a radio challenge to the PCG aircraft. Tarriela said the PCG aircraft also monitored four China Coast Guard (CCG) ships with bow numbers 5303, 4202,3502, and 5306 near Bajo de Masinloc. US vessels Aside from these, Tarriela said two United States Navy ships were also spotted in the area around 30 nautical miles from Bajo de Masinloc or 102 nautical miles from Zambales. According to Tarriela, PLAN vessel 568 was monitored tailing the two US naval ships. "At the same time, while they were also flying over the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc, they monitored the presence of PLA Navy 568 tailing the two US naval vessels," Tarriela said. Reuters reported that China's military said Wednesday it monitored and "drove away" the American destroyer USS Higgins in the waters of the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) in the South China Sea. China's Southern Theater Command said the US ship had entered the waters "without the approval of the Chinese government." 'False' In an email to GMA Integrated News, however, US 7th Fleet spokesperson Lieutenant Cody Milam said the USS Higgins (DDG 76) asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near Scarborough Reef, consistent with international law. "This freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) upheld the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China and Taiwan," the spokesperson said. "China's statement about this mission is false. USS Higgins (DDG 76) conducted this FONOP in accordance with international law and then continued on to conduct normal operations," Milam said. He added, "The United States is defending its right to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Higgins did here. Nothing China says otherwise will deter us." Milam also confirmed that USS Cincinnati (LCS 20) is currently conducting routine operations in the South China Sea. Water cannon, collision On Monday, the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) headed to Bajo de Masinloc to distribute aid to local fishermen as part of the Kadiwa program. Several Chinese vessels harassed Philippine vessels by using a water cannon, performing dangerous maneuvers, and shadowing. According to the PCG, PLAN ship 164 and CCG vessel 3104 collided while they were chasing PCG's BRP Suluan. The CCG vessel sustained substantial damage, rendering it unseaworthy, while the flagpole of the PCG vessel was also damaged, the PCG said. Bajo de Masinloc is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and is considered within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). 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 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 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. — VDV, GMA Integrated News