‘Matter of national security’: Foreign drone found in Masbate was used for data collection

January 15, 2025 | 6:11pm

MANILA, Philippines — A foreign drone found off the coast of Masbate, initially suspected to be of Chinese origin, was determined to have been used for “commercial, scientific and military purposes.”

In a special committee hearing on Wednesday, January 15, Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary Ignacio Madriaga bared more details on the foreign drone found by fisherfolk in Masbate in December 2024. 

“Based sa open source, it’s a data gathering equipment and all information that this equipment can gather has commercial, scientific and military use considering the strategic location of the Philippines. All available hydrographic information that can be gathered by any country could be of great advantage to them, specifically, based on open source, this is gathering salinity, temperature depth. It can conduct mapping of the subsurface,” Madriaga said. 

The DND official added that the drone had no propulsion system, suggesting that it was a glider. The drone also had a battery meant for long endurance. 

This suggests that whoever placed it there intended it to remain for long-term data collection. They likely also had knowledge of the currents passing through the country’s waters.

The DND is “treating it as a national security matter,” Madriaga said. 

Philippine National Police Maritime Group Director Jonathan Cabal said that, based on their assessment, the device was not a commercially available drone.

“It came from China. It is a Chinese-made submersible drone, so basically, for our commercial enterprises, no one uses these submersible drones. That’s why we surmised that this is not commercially available but of military grade or scientific purpose,” Cabal said in a mix of English and Filipino.

However, authorities have yet to definitively identify the drone as Chinese.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said that no country has approached the Philippines to claim ownership.

De Vega reiterated that express consent from the coastal state is required if any foreign nation wishes to conduct research in Philippine waters.

If the drone is confirmed to belong to China, De Vega said the DFA would file a protest.

Sen. Francis Tolentino asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) whether it would need to wait for complete forensic results before filing a protest.

DOJ senior state counsel Atty. Fretti Ganchoon replied, “For prudence, Mister Chair, we need to be sure of the drone’s origin.”

The drone was discovered amid China’s ongoing incursions in the West Philippine Sea, prompting senators to question whether the device had any military applications.

The government has also filed another diplomatic protest in response to the presence of China’s “monster ship” in Philippine waters.