MANILA: Five underwater drones found by Philippine fishermen were capable of gathering information that could aid in “underwater warfare”, the country’s military said on Tuesday (Apr 15), noting at least one had relayed a signal to China.
The revelation follows months of confrontations between the Philippines and China in the disputed South China Sea and comes as Manila prepares for large-scale military exercises with treaty ally the United States this month.
The drones were discovered between 2022 and 2024 in locations “important strategically in the defence and the security not only of the country but for international maritime navigation”, Philippine military officials told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday.
Their data collection served purposes “beyond navigation”, according to Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, who said the information could be used for “underwater warfare”, detecting threats and testing weaponry below the surface.
While declining to definitively identify the drones’ origin, Trinidad noted that several bore Chinese markings, while at least one had relayed a signal to China.
“Based on the technical study of the forensics of the SIM card (found on one of the five drones), the last contact of the card was in mainland China,” said Trinidad, who serves as the navy’s spokesman for South China Sea issues.
Three of the drones were found off the north coast of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, including two near the Balintang Channel south of Taiwan, he added.
Two others were retrieved from what were identified as “critical chokepoints”, one near Masbate Island in the central Philippines and another near the southern island of Mindanao.
The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
