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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider China's illegal installation at Bajo de Masinloc 'shows how much of a bully she is'—Hontiveros

China's illegal installation at Bajo de Masinloc 'shows how much of a bully she is'—Hontiveros

Published Jun 16, 2026 11:41 am

At A Glance

  • Sen. Risa Hontiveros said China has yet again violated international law and ignored the Hague Ruling. She insisted that China has no right to build any structure in Philippine territory without permission.


Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, June 16, condemned China’s illegal installation of a floating platform and communications antenna at Bajo de Masinloc saying it only shows “how much of a bully” the Philippines’ neighbor is.

“China has yet again violated international law, ignored the Hague Ruling, and showed the world how much of a bully she is,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

“Bajo de Masinloc is ours.  Therefore, China has no right to build any structure in Philippine territory without permission,” she said further in Filipino.

China, according to Hontiverod, seems to have its own “build build build” project in territories that are not its own.

“This signals an escalating pattern of gray-zone operations designed to establish a creeping presence inside our waters. Concrete measures to stop its illegal activities must be taken,” the senator said.

Earlier, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) verified the illegal installation of a 6x6 meter movable floating platform, operated by Chinese nationals and supported by newly installed antenna communications on nearby rock formations.

Hontiveros identified the Yue Xia Yu Zhi 20028 and Yue Zhan Yu 6, two Chinese vessels documented by Philippine maritime patrols as providing logistical support to the illegal installation, as key targets of any accountability response.

She said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of Transportation (DOTr), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) should immediately publish the full registry details, ownership structures, and maritime insurance providers of both vessels, initiate sanction proceedings against the companies and individuals behind them, and coordinate with ASEAN partners to deny these ships access to regional ports, refueling, and resupply.

Moreover, the senator reminded that the Philippine government’s transparency initiative has been “our strongest weapon.”

“We should name these vessels, expose their owners, and cut off their logistics where able. The Hague ruled in our favor. International law is on our side. What we need now is the political will to enforce it, and the strategic clarity to do so without playing into China’s preferred game of direct confrontation,” she maintained.

“Let's fight for Bajo de Masinloc. Not just for the fishermen who depend on it. Also for all Filipinos who trust that we can defend our homeland peacefully, with dignity, and determination,” Hontiveros stressed.

Related Tags

Risa Hontiveros Bajo de Masinloc China West Philipine Sea
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