MANILA — China has quietly acknowledged that two (2) of its coastguard personnel died during a collision near Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea last year, contradicting its earlier public silence over reported casualties from the incident.

A recent incident involving a commercial sea drone capturing footage of a Chinese warship operating near the Philippines has highlighted the growing role of autonomous vessels in maritime surveillance. The development offers new opportunities for the Philippines to strengthen its monitoring capabilities in the West Philippine Sea, where the country exercises sovereign rights under international law.

The Philippines’ recent presentation of its partial submission for an extended continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea has drawn attention from regional analysts and diplomatic observers. While the move is consistent with international law, some experts caution that it could complicate efforts to forge a unified ASEAN position on a code of conduct with China.

The Philippines has formally presented its case for an extended continental shelf (ECS) in the West Palawan Region before the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), marking a significant milestone in the country’s 15-year effort to secure sovereign rights over thousands of square kilometers of seabed in the West Philippine Sea.

MANILA, Philippines — The National Maritime Council (NMC) has issued a firm statement rejecting recent assertions by the Chinese Ambassador regarding the Philippines’ lawful operations in Ayungin Shoal and the provisional arrangement governing resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre.

Vietnam has protested China’s activities at Antelope Reef, saying the reclamation is “completely illegal and invalid,” according to the Inquirer report quoting Vietnamese foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang. China, for its part, insists the Paracel Islands are part of its territory and says the work is meant to improve living conditions on the islands.

MANILA, Philippines — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila on Wednesday, with talks focused on managing US-China tensions, preparing for a possible visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States, and the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea issue involving the Philippines and China.

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro on Wednesday delivered Manila’s strong protest to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi over the injuries suffered by Filipino servicemen in a clash with China Coast Guard personnel at Ayungin Shoal, while also pressing Beijing to dismantle remaining Chinese structures at Panatag Shoal and criticizing a China Daily video that depicted Filipinos as monkeys.

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. condemned the latest confrontation in Ayungin Shoal as “unacceptable” after a Philippine Navy personnel was injured in a clash with the China Coast Guard on Monday, July 20. Palace officials said the government views the incident as another dangerous escalation in the West Philippine Sea.

MANILA, Philippines — Chinese rubber boats moved toward the BRP Sierra Madre, an old World War II LST-542-class tank landing ship, during an encounter at Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) within the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines said Chinese coast guard personnel approached at close range and injured a Filipino sailor, while Beijing accused Manila of provocative maneuvers. The incident underscores the deepening dispute over control of the shoal, where the Philippines

MANILA — The European Union has escalated its criticism of China, accusing Beijing, alongside Moscow, of trying to reshape the global order and revive a spheres-of-influence model, in language that underscores growing Western alignment on security concerns from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific. Reuters reported that the EU’s new strategic paper describes China as a “key enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine and flags Beijing’s increasingly assertive behavior in the South China Sea a

Manila — Ten years after an arbitral tribunal in The Hague under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) rejected Beijing’s sweeping map-based claims, rival claimants continue to maneuver across the waters closest to the Philippines. With Vietnamese President To Lam visiting Manila last June 2026, Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signaled a clear intent to knit closer maritime cooperation with Hanoi, a move that could complicate Beijin

Beijing’s counter-report is likely meant to reinforce its longstanding position that the award is “null and void,” but its publication also highlights a deeper divide: China argues sovereignty and jurisdiction were never properly adjudicated, while Manila and its partners insist the award settled the maritime entitlements issue with finality. Reuters and AP both show that the international diplomatic consensus outside Beijing still leans strongly toward the Philippine view.

MANILA — Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela blasted China Daily on Thursday after the Chinese state-run outlet posted an AI-generated video that depicted a monkey in a barong and salakot, with the Philippine flag also appearing in the imagery. He called the video racist and dehumanizing, saying Filipinos “are not monkeys” and should not be made into one

MANILA — On the 10th anniversary of the PCA award, the Philippines stood at the center of a renewed chorus calling the ruling “final and binding,” using legal victory as both shield and lever in a neighborhood reshaped by naval build‑up and strategic hedging. The 14‑nation statement backing Manila’s win reflected the country’s success in translating a complex UNCLOS arbitration into enduring diplomatic capital.

The reaffirmation comes as the 10th anniversary of the ruling drew international attention. On 12 July 2026, the Philippines and 13 partner countries issued a joint statement reaffirming the award as “final and binding” and saying there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims. Beijing responded by denouncing that statement and urging the countries to stop “spreading lies” about the arbitration.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and 13 other countries have called on China to abide by the 2016 arbitral award on the West Philippine Sea, reaffirming that the ruling is “final, legally binding, and definitive” between the Philippines and China on the maritime claims covered by the tribunal.

On 12 July 2016, an arbitral tribunal constituted under Annex VII of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) issued a landmark award in The Republic of the Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China. The tribunal held that China’s claims to historic rights within the “nine-dash line” had no lawful effect beyond entitlements available under UNCLOS, and it found multiple Chinese actions unlawful vis-à-vis the Philippines’ rights in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Hague ruling remains the Philippines’ strongest international-law asset because it directly undermined key elements of China’s maritime claims . That is why Philippine officials and legal advocates continue to cite UNCLOS and the award when pressing their case on the West Philippine Sea.

Article by J. Salazar Published on July 9, 2026 04:30PM A China Coast Guard vessel patrols the vibrant blue waters as smaller boats navigate nearby The Philippines has firmly rejected claims that it undermines efforts toward stability in the West Philippine Sea, insisting that its statements and actions, centered on sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc (Internationally known as Scarborough Shoal or Huangyan Dao in China), are entirely consistent with international law and aimed