Philippine sailor on South China Sea outpost under investigation for drug use

The sailor had served in a key position aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, then was involved in resupply runs to the outpost

One source who tipped off This Week in Asia said the case was being handled quietly by the military as a “national security concern”, given the role of Sierra Madre in Manila’s efforts to maintain its presence at the contested shoal, which Beijing also claims as within its nine-dash line in the South China Sea.

The World War II-era tank-landing ship was beached on the shoal in 1999 by the Philippine government in 1999 to assert Manila’s claim, and China has repeatedly demanded its removal.

On Thursday, Navy spokeswoman Captain Marissa Martinez confirmed the case to This Week in Asia, saying it was identified through the Insider Threat Programme, an initiative “to detect, report and address activities that may pose risks to personnel, operations, national security, and institutional integrity”.