China's word regarding its "suspicious" activities in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal)--a fertile fishing ground well within Philippine territory--shouldn't be taken at face value.

Thus, said former House quad-committee (quad-comm) overall chairman Robert Ace Barbers, as he cited on Tuesday, June 23 the rather painful history that led to his distrust toward the Asian superpower.

Barbers said it was borne out of what China did at Mischief Reef (Panganiban Reef) in 1995, when it gave the Filipinos and the international community an assurance that its initial stilt-based structures in the area were merely “fishermen’s shelter".

But over decades, he said, China dredged the Mischief Reef area to create a 154-acre artificial land – from stilt huts to a heavily-militarized fortress.

“The reef is now fortified with naval ports, radar systems, military hangars and runways. It now serves as an advanced monitoring and operational military hub for China,” Barbers, a former three-term congressman from Surigao del Norte, pointed out.

“Kung niloko nila (China government) ang mga Filipino at ang international community sa ginawa nila nuong 1995 sa Mischief Reef – from fishermen’s shelter to military fortress, malamang ay gagamitin nila ang same playbook na ginawa nila sa Bajo de Masinloc,” he added.

(If they deceived the Filipinos and the international community in 1995 at Mischief Reef — from fishermen’s shelter to military fortress — they will likely use the same playbook they carried out in Bajo de Masinloc.)

Earlier this month, House of Representatives members lambasted China for the reported deployment of a floating structure within the waters of Bajo de Masinloc just 124 nautical miles west of Zambales and sits within the country’s 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Barbers has expressed concern that it could be a case of deja vu, especially with Beijing passing off the floating structure as a scientific-slash-environmental monitoring platform.

On Tuesday, he noted reports that the Chinese Coast Guard, Navy and civilian militia boats were again recently seen and monitored to have deployed structures said to be for use with their “underwater research and exploration”.

The Philippines is also just a few weeks away from celebrating the 10th anniversary of its landmark arbitral award on the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Given to the country on July 12, 2016, it marks Manila's victory before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague in the South China Sea Arbitration (The Republic of the Philippines v. The People's Republic of China).

It invalidated China's expansive "historical claim" over the entire South China Sea. China has never recognized this award, unlike practically the entire international community.

Barbers said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Philippine Navy should not blink on their vigilance and must not trust China’s activities in Bajo de Masinloc.

“Di dapat tayo magtiwala. Baka pag pinabayaan natin ito o nalingat at napikit tayo, baka bigla na lang malaman natin na may oil rig o iba pang structures na naitayo na nang China doon (Bajo de Masinloc) tulad ng oil rig ng Malampaya sa Palawan,” Barbers said.

(We should not trust them. If we neglect this or let our guard down, we might suddenly discover that China has already built an oil rig or other structures there [Bajo de Masinloc], similar to the Malampaya oil rig in Palawan.)

As overall chairman of the quad-comm in the previous 19th Congress, Barbers led investigations on alleged Chinese spies in the Philippines, as well as the criminal activities linked to the now-outlawed Philippine offshore and gaming operators (POGO).