This handout photo from Police Regional Office 5 shows an underwater drone with Chinese markings recovered in Masbate on December 30, 2024. Handout/PRO 5

MANILA — A Department of National Defense official said on Wednesday that the submersible drone recovered off the coast of Masbate island is data gathering equipment and is considered a violation of national security and the country's territory.

DND Undersecretary for Strategic Assessment and Planning Ignacio Madriaga told the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones that the submersible drone has commercial, scientific, and military use. 

"Considering the strategic location of the Philippines, all available hydrographic information that can be gathered by any country would be of great advantage to them. Specifically, based on open source, this is gathering salinity, temperature, depth," Madriaga said.

"It can conduct mapping of the subsurface. All of those are important for any countries that has subsurface capability, and subsurface warfare capability," Madriaga said.

"As far as the Defense Department is concerned, we are treating it as a national security matter, whether it is unarmed, uncrewed... we consider this as a violation of our territory and it's a matter of national security for the Department of National Defense."

Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said they have not made inquiries with other countries as to the ownership of the drone, specifically the Chinese embassy.

"We did not send out a note to ask inyo ba ito. But we have not received any information as expected from any foreign state to claim ownership of the submersible," De Vega said.

PH coordinating with foreign counterparts to determine origin, purpose of underwater drone

De Vega also belied reports that China wants the drone back.

"Wala po communication at all from China about that. But let me say this. Under Article 245 of UNCLOS, the express consent from the coastal state is needed for a foreign country to conduct marine scientific research in its territorial sea," he said.

"So, this, as mentioned by Usec. Madriaga, could have data gathering. So, marine scientific research 'yan, violation 'yan. So, if China asks it, well, we're gonna protest instead. Kung ina-amin ninyo inyo 'yung drone na 'yan."

The officials appeared before the panel as it launched a probe into the submersible drone.

The fishermen who discovered the drone, Rodnie Valenzuela and Jojo Cantela, were also present during the hearing. Valenzuela recalled how they found the device.

"Mag-deliver po kami ng isda papuntang San Pascual, bayan ng San Pascual. Nadaanan po namin yung kala ko po ay ano lang, buya-buya lang. Ginagamit ng mga mangingisda, bilang tanda. Nung nalapitan na namin, nakita ko po na may malaki palang katawan. Kaya binalikan ko po," Valenzuela said.

Underwater drone found off Masbate may have ‘military applications’: PH Navy

Madriaga said that the device is now being subjected to forensics investigation.

Tolentino said the forensics investigation won't yield results for another 5 weeks. De Vega said the Philippine Navy needs 6 to 8 weeks to come up with its findings. Tolentino also claimed it was from China.

Philippine National Police Maritime Group Chief Police Brigadier General Jonathan Cabal also said that based on their research, the device originated in China.

"Ma'am, doon sa research ma'am po namin is basically it came from China. So it is a Chinese-made submersible drone. So basically, sa ating commercial enterprises, wala namang gumagamit ng ganitong submersible drones. That's why we surmise that this is not commercially available but for military-grade or scientific purposes," Cabal said.

5 underwater drones recovered in various PH areas in 2024: Navy

RELATED VIDEO: