Bajo de Masinloc, which is located 124 nautical miles west of mainland Zambales, is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Friday rejected China’s National Day flag-raising ceremony held by the China Coast Guard (CCG) near Bajo de Masinloc, saying the activity does not change the legal status of the maritime feature.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila said CCG law enforcement officers held a flag-raising ceremony in waters near Huangyan Dao—Beijing’s name for Bajo de Masinloc—“keeping watch over China’s maritime sovereignty.”
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela described the portrayal as misleading.
“The China Coast Guard’s National Day flag-raising ceremony near Bajo de Masinloc, described as ‘keeping watch over China’s maritime sovereignty,’ is a misleading portrayal of the reality on the ground,” Tarriela said in a statement.
He stressed that Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, is an integral part of Philippine territory.
Bajo de Masinloc has remained a major flashpoint in the West Philippine Sea since the 2012 standoff between Philippine and Chinese vessels.
Tarriela warns China control of Bajo de Masinloc could complete 'Iron Triangle'
Under the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Bajo de Masinloc generates a territorial sea extending up to 12 nautical miles and a contiguous zone extending up 24 nautical miles.
In July 2026, the Philippines deposited its official nautical chart of Bajo de Masinloc and its surrounding maritime zones with the United Nations, placing the country’s official maritime information on the international record.
“The waters beyond fall within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ),” Tarriela said.
The 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award also affirmed the traditional fishing rights of Filipino fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc, and found that China’s prevention of Filipino fishing there was incompatible with those rights.
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