Everything is normal at the disputed Scarborough Shoal — no sign of construction, only the usual Filipino and Chinese fishing boats and the Chinese Coast Guard presence.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) conducted an aerial patrol mission over what Manila calls Panatag Shoal off Zambales province as the country marked the first anniversary of its victory in the arbitration case against Chinese claims to most of the South China Sea.
“The situation in the area is normal. There are Chinese fishing boats, there are Philippine fishing boats, but the Chinese fishing boats are bigger. There are also Chinese Coast Guard ships,” Cmdr. Armand Balilo told reporters, citing the initial report of the crew of the PCG Islander plane that flew over the shoals on Wednesday morning.