Authorities are investigating the reported explosions heard on Zamora (Subi) Reef near Pagasa (Thitu) Island in Palawan moments after a China Coast Guard (CCG) seized a suspected Chinese rocket debris from the Philippine Navy (PN).

Senior Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr., officer in charge of the Department of National Defense (DND), said he is awaiting additional reports on the tense square off by a CCG vessel with bow number 5203 and a PN rubber boat near Pagasa Island last Nov. 20 which was followed by a series of loud blasts on Zamora Reef.

“We stand by the accounts of our personnel in the area that, contrary to the narrative of the Chinese side, the debris being towed by a Philippine vessel to Naval Station Emilio Liwanag for inspection was rudely taken by personnel from CCGV 5203,” Faustino said on Tuesday night, Nov. 22.

“Philippine authorities are also investigating the reported explosions near Pagasa Island after the incident involving the floating debris. The situation is still developing, thus, we cannot provide additional details at this time,” he added.

It can be recalled that an unidentified floating debris was spotted by personnel of Naval Station Emilio Liwanag around 800 yards from Pagasa Island last Nov. 20.

The Navy then retrieved the debris – a piece of metal which is believed to have come from a rocket that was launched by China recently – and towed it towards the shore. But CCG vessel 5203 blocked their path twice and deployed a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) to seize the debris.

The Chinese Embassy denied the report of the Palawan-based Western Command (WESCOM) that CCG personnel forcibly took the debris from the PN personnel, saying the incident was settled after a friendly discussion.

But reports said that residents of Pagasa Island heard loud blasts on Zamora Reef hours after the incident, with police saying these explosions might have come from fired artillery guns or weapons.

Zamora Reef is an artificial reef built by China in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) or Spratly Islands. It is located around 26 km west of Pagasa Island.

Faustino assured the residents of Pagasa Island and the surrounding areas in Kalayaan, Palawan that the Armed Forces of the Philippines is working with other government agencies to ensure their safety.

“Events such as these are exactly why we continue to advocate for open lines of communication and dialogue mechanisms. We support the diplomatic efforts of Philippine government agencies to engage our Chinese counterparts to address the incident,” Faustino concluded.