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A matter of national security?: Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito Estrada, during Wednesday’s public hearing of the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones hearing, January 15, 2025, seeks an update on the discovery last December 30 of a submersible drone off the coast of Brgy. Inawaran, San Pascual, Masbate. Philippine Navy officials said that with the help of the United States, the Philippine is still doing forensic analysis of the submersible drone with Chinese markings. Authorities also disclosed that four more similar drones were recovered in Philippine waters last year – two on the island municipality of Calayan off Cagayan province, another in Pasuquin town, Ilocos Norte, and the last one was recovered in Initao town, Misamis Oriental. Department of National Defense Undersecretary Ignacio Madriaga told Ejercito that based on open source, the recovered underwater drone is a data gathering equipment and that all information it can gather have commercial and scientific use. Considering the strategic location of the Philippines, Madriaga said, all available hydrographic information that can be gathered by any country would be of great advantage to them. “So most likely, this is scientific. Could this possibly be a surveillance, reconnaissance drone that could be used, considering our situation right now? We have an ongoing dispute (in the West Philippine Sea). It is worrisome. This can be used for surveillance or maybe they are already spying on us," the senator stressed. Madriaga reiterated that the drone is meant for data gathering and all the data that can be gathered can be considered as intelligence information with several uses especially for the military, “and as far as the Defense department is concerned, we are treating it as a national security matter, whether it is unarmed (or) un-crewed.” (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau) |
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