The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has taken custody of a suspected underwater drone found by fishermen in the waters off Linapacan town in Palawan on Sunday.
The fishermen brought the drone to the shore and informed local authorities of their find.
The device was transported to the PCG Station Linapacan for verification, technical examination and investigation.
Preliminary inspection showed the drone was equipped with a conductivity-temperature-depth sensor, which is typically used for oceanographic profiling.
The PCG said the sensor bore Chinese characters and the serial number CTD-20090334.
The drone also bore corrosion marks indicating prolonged exposure to saltwater. Its metal frame resembled components commonly found in autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV).
The recovery is the latest in a series of similar incidents that have occurred since 2022, with devices recovered in the waters off Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Masbate, Misamis Oriental and Zambales.
Forensic analysis of earlier recoveries linked some units to Chinese defense contractors and state-owned firms, citing components such as China telecom SIM cards, iridium transceivers and battery packs from the China Electronics Technology Group Corp.
Experts noted that such AUVs are capable of conducting advanced seafloor mapping, oceanographic monitoring and underwater surveillance, collecting data on salinity, temperature, depth and acoustic propagation for strategic maritime applications.
PCG chief Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan commended the fishermen for reporting the find.