(10 Jun 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
West York Island, South China Sea – 5 June 2025
1. Philippine Marines with M4 assault rifles standing guard at West York Island (also known as Likas Island), with Philippine flag in the background
2. Pan down from Philippine flag to soldiers looking
3. Zoom out from signage to soldier using binoculars
4. West York island white-sand beaches with turquoise waters, underwater shot near the shore
5. Wide of Philippine Marines patrolling perimeter with Philippine Navy ship Andres Bonifacio in the background
6. Mid of Marine patrolling with ship in the background
7. Philippine Naval Special Operations group approaching West York island on rubber boat
8. Mid of Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla kneeling and kissing beach
9. Close of Col. Padilla holding small Philippine flag
10. SOUNDBITE (English/Tagalog) Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson:
“It’s our first time here in Likas (West York Island) and it is really so beautiful. Our love for the Philippines burns brightly, it’s such a beautiful country. And Its supposed to be appreciated by every Filipino, this should be open and be part of tourism.”
11. Wide of Philippine soldiers playing basketball
12. Mid of basketball court with Likas’ name
13. Mid of basketball game
ASSOCIATED PRESS
En route to Palawan province, South China Sea – 7 June 2025
13. Mid of ship’s bridge during naval patrol
14. Various of a naval officer
15. Wide of Chinese People’s Liberation Army ship
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thitu Reef, South China Sea – 6 June 2025
16. Chinese Coast Guard vessel near Sandy cay
17. Chinese vessel near Sandy cay
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thitu Reef, South China Sea – 4 June 2025
18. Various of BRP Philippine Navy ship Andres Bonifacio on rough sea
19. Mid of Philippine Marines on rubber boat
ASSOCIATED PRESS
West York Island, South China Sea – 3 June 2025
20. Mid of Philippine Air Force aircraft propeller
21. Aerial shot of West York Island
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Puerto Princesa, Palawan – 3 June 2025
22. Various of U.S. Air Force at Palawan Airport
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Zamboanga Airport – 3 June 2025
23. U.S. drone on runway with Philippine Airlines taxiing at the background
24. Philippine airlines plane taking off
25. U.S. drone being towed by vehicle
26. U.S. drone passing beside Philippine Air Force C-130
27. U.S. Army mark on drone’s tail
STORYLINE:
Overwhelmed after setting foot for the first time on a far-flung but picturesque island in the disputed South China Sea, a Filipino army official knelt to kiss the shore. She held a small Philippine flag that fluttered in the breeze.
“This is just so beautiful,” Philippines military spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said of West York Island, one of nine islands, reefs and atolls occupied by Filipino forces in the long-contested waters.
The 18.6-hectare (46-acre) droplet-shaped island, called Likas by Filipinos, could easily become an eco-tourism draw in tropical Asia with its powdery white-sand beaches, turquoise waters and giant sea turtle sanctuaries. Padilla said she hopes it could someday be opened to Filipino travelers and tourists from across the world.
But that longstanding aspiration by Philippine officials has been stymied by a tangle of territorial conflicts involving a militarily superior China.
The long-simmering disputes are also a delicate fault line in the regional rivalry between Beijing and Washington.
AP video shot by Joeal Calupitan
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