FILIPINO fishermen have found two large metal debris in two separate areas in the West Philippine Sea off Palawan and Occidental Mindoro recently.
The metal sheets were believed to be part of the 23-ton piece of space debris from China’s launch of a Long March 5B rocket that re-entered into Earth last November 4.
The metal debris found off Busuanga, Palawan has a Chinese flag marking on it.
Busuanga Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative Raniel Montilla said the debris, measuring 5 meter wide and 7 meter high, did not cause harm to the population when it fell from the sky.
He said indigenous tribe leader discovered the metal debris while fishing near Lokotok Island in Sitio Lacdayan in Barangay Cheey.
A team from the Philippine Navy Littoral Combat Force 2nd Boat Attack Division baesd in Liminangcong in Taytay, Palawan came to Busuanga and took the metal debris last Tuesday.
In a related incident, the Philippine Coast Guard reported another recovery of metallic debris off Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro.
Roderick Fabie, a resident of Barangay Poblacion in Calintaan reported to Coast Guard that a group of fishermen saw the metal debris last November 6.
“The PCG and PNP proceeded to the said location to verify the report. Upon arrival, the PCG and PNP confirmed the presence of the white painted, curve shaped, and more or less six-meter-long metallic debris,” the Coast Guard said in its Facebook post.
The Philippine Space Agency said they had earlier advised the public of the possible fall of the debris of Chinese rocket Long March 5B that launched to space last October 31.
