Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino has asked the Senate to launch an investigation of the suspected Chinese underwater drone discovered over waters near Masbate province.
Tolentino on Monday confirmed that he filed Senate Resolution No. 1267, urging the Senate special committee on Philippine maritime and admiralty zones to check on the drone labeled “HY-119,” which was discovered on December 30, 2024.
It was about six feet long, and torpedo-shaped with fins. “Based on our open-source research in the internet… HY-119 refers to a Chinese underwater navigation and communication system,” PRO-5 Director, Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon said. “It has an antenna and an eye that can be used for viewing. Based on our research, this can be used for monitoring and reconnaissance.”
Dizon said the drone was not armed, but the police report listed “potential national security implications” as one significance of its recovery. It was turned over by police to the Philippine Navy on Tuesday, Dizon added.
The Philippine Navy and the Chinese embassy in Manila have yet to respond to AFP’s request for comment. Tensions and military confrontations have escalated in the South China Sea in recent months. In December, Chinese coast guard vessels backed by navy ships fired powerful water cannons and blocked and sideswiped a Philippine patrol vessel. U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, MaryKay Carlson, accused Beijing in a social media post of putting “lives at risk” by disrupting a Philippine maritime operation.
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