A senior official of the Philippine Navy revealed Tuesday that the drone recovered near Calayan Island last year carried bathymetric data, which could potentially be used for “undersea warfare.”
Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said forensic analysis of the material indicates a “deliberate effort is being conducted by a foreign power.”
“All of these have applications in the academic field, in the commercial field, and even in the military field,” Trinidad said in the latest briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.
The Navy official noted a subtle attempt to survey not only the nation’s maritime territory but also its human landscape, political structure, and infrastructure.
To date, five submersible drones were found in different locations: two near Calayan Island in the Babuyan Group of Islands; one in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte; one in Initao, Misamis Oriental; and one in San Pascual, Masbate in December 2024.
Last week, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said they are investigating reports of an alleged underwater drone discovered off Bohol province.
