Satellite Images Show Unidentified Object at Scarborough Shoal Lagoon Entrance

Satellite imagery captured an unidentified reflective object at the southern entrance to Scarborough Shoal's lagoon between May 26 and 28. The images were taken by the SkyFi satellite platform and shared with the Stanford-affiliated maritime analysis group SeaLight.

Analysts estimate the object measures less than 10 meters in diameter, though it remains unclear whether the structure is fixed to the reef or floating.

Shoal, known as Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines and Huangyan Island in China, has been under de facto Chinese control since a 2012 standoff with the Philippines. Beijing maintains a continuous coast guard presence, challenges Philippine government patrols, and has occasionally deployed floating barriers at the entrance.

The shoal serves as a rich fishing ground and remains a focal point in the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China.

Response Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro

Jr. stated there was "raw information" that China had built structures at Scarborough Shoal during a closed-door meeting with reporters at the Shangri-La security summit in Singapore. He added that he had not received confirmation about the nature of the object.

The country's National Security Council has been tasked with leading the investigation into the object. Philippine officials said efforts to verify the nature and origin of the object are ongoing. "If this object is confirmed to be a fixed installation, it would raise questions about compliance with the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which calls for self-restraint and avoiding actions that complicate disputes or alter the status quo on contested, uninhabited features," SeaLight Director Ray Powell said in a statement.