DRONE ALERT
SENATE Majority Leader Francis ‘Tol’ Tolentino has called for greater vigilance, following the announcement by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) of the results of the forensic tests conducted on several submersible drones that were recovered from different parts of the country in recent months.
“The forensic results affirm the initial findings of our Senate probe that this is a national security concern,” stated Tolentino, who led a Senate inquiry last January on one such drone that fishermen recovered in San Pascual, Masbate.
“What is apparent is that China has been deploying these drones to study our seabed and map out our underwater terrain to gather critical data for scientific, commercial, or military use,” noted the senator.
“This development should further bolster our efforts to protect the West Philippine Sea, and to continue to assert through legal and diplomatic means our sovereign rights over our exclusive economic zones and resources,” he added.
“I also call for greater public vigilance. The government derives its strength from the unity of the people. We can serve our country’s interests by promptly reporting any suspicious equipment or activities we may come across, especially in our coastlines,” stressed the senator. “If you find a drone, don’t tinker with it, don’t sell it, or keep it as a souvenir. It is important to immediately notify and turn it over to your local government or police authorities.”
He cited the case of the three Masbate fishermen – Jojo Cantela, Rodnie Valenzuela, and Jeric Arojado – who reported about the submersible drone they found floating in their municipal waters on December 30 last year.
The three received a commendation from the Senate in recognition of their courage, vigilance and nationalism.
