MANILA (Reuters) – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Monday that the report of a Russian submarine in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea was “very alarming”.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on Monday that a Russian submarine surfaced in Manila’s EEZ last week, citing security sources.
“This is of great concern. Any incursion into the West Philippine Sea, into our EEZ, our baselines is of great concern,” Marcos told reporters.
Marcos did not elaborate on the submarine’s presence, saying he would let the military discuss the matter.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. A Philippine Navy spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Russian Embassy in Manila could not immediately be reached for comment.
China and Russia announced a “borderless” partnership when President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing in 2022, days before Russia invaded Ukraine. In July, both countries conducted live-fire naval exercises in the South China Sea.
Tensions between Manila and Beijing have escalated over the past year over overlapping claims in the South China Sea. An arbitral tribunal ruled in 2016 that China’s historic claims to the disputed waterway had no basis, a decision Beijing rejects.
