Tolentino alarmed over recovered underwater drones

Senator Francis Tolentino expressed concern over unmanned underwater drones retrieved by fishermen in Philippine waters.

The Philippine Navy presented submersibles of unknown origins before the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones.

The recovered drones, including a yellow one labeled HY-119 found off Masbate in January, were primarily recovered from waters off Batanes, Masbate, and Initao.

Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad stated that the Philippine Navy is conducting forensic examinations on the retrieved drones.

Trinidad warned that the number of drones recovered is likely "the tip of the iceberg," alarming Tolentino.

Tolentino speculated that if the recovered drones are just the tip of the iceberg, then possibly all Philippine waters could be teeming with such devices.

One yellow drone, labeled HY 119, was found in multiple locations and is designed to collect data such as water depth, salinity, and oxygen content.

A second, military-grade black drone discovered in Sabtang, Batanes, has similar capabilities but also includes a sensor for capturing sound and analyzing its propagation underwater.