Manila, Oct. 14 -- The Philippine Navy (PN) said Tuesday it has received reports of underwater structures in Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and is verifying them.

"We have received reports of certain structures underwater, which we are verifying," PN spokesperson for the WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.

Trinidad noted that in 1997, the PN successfully stopped an "attempt" by China to build a steel structure in the area.

"In the past, in 1997, there was an attempt to erect a steel structure by the Chinese Communist Party, which was blown up by our PN forces," he said.

Trinidad also said previous reported sightings of building blocks in Bajo de Masinloc turned out to ...