A PHILIPPINE military official on Tuesday dismissed rumors of a brewing coup, saying that troops would not participate in any attempt to overthrow President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

Reports of a possible military coup against Mr. Marcos on Sept. 21 circulated on social media as thousands of Filipinos took to the streets in the biggest protest in years over the multibillion-peso flood control scandal.

“These movements… [and] claims that there’s some kind of plot are clearly unfounded,” Philippine military spokeswoman Francel Margareth A. Padilla told a news briefing in Filipino. “There’s no truth to them.”

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) remains intact, professional and disciplined,” she added.

The Southeast Asian nation is no stranger to coup attempts, having seen more than a dozen military mutinies since the restoration of democracy in 1986, after the late former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. was overthrown by a popular street uprising.

The last serious attempt to unseat a civilian government was in 2006, during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, but it was foiled by state security forces and led to the arrest of several military and police officials. A week-long national state of emergency was declared to quell the uprising.

Each succeeding President has seen the threat of a coup by disgruntled troops, with the government of ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte having to deal with alleged plots to unseat him during his 2016-2022 presidency.

Ms. Padilla said the Philippine military remains neutral and won’t meddle with political matters, underscoring that it is now a “professional organization” and would shun calls for a coup amid the deepening flood control scandal.

The President faces mounting pressure as his administration is rocked by an unfolding scandal involving substandard, incomplete or nonexistent infrastructure in a country regularly battered by flooding.

Reports of irregularities in infrastructure contracts have fueled public outrage after a series of typhoons and monsoon rains earlier this year left Metro Manila and nearby provinces flooded despite extensive flood control projects.

The controversy stems from Mr. Marcos’ revelation in August that more than 6,000 flood control projects launched since 2022 lacked key details. About P545 billion has been allocated for flood control since then, with P100 billion cornered by top contractors.

“Politically motivated distractions are like static on a radio,” Ms. Padilla said. “They make noise, but they don’t actually change the signal. Our focus is locked on our mission, and that is to protect the people and secure the state,” she added. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

THE PHILIPPINE Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday said it had taken custody of a suspected sea drone recovered by Filipino fishers off northern Palawan, marking the latest in a series of similar recoveries since 2022.

The 12-foot-long drone found on Sept. 28 bore Chinese markings, was equipped with water temperature and depth sensors, and showed signs of corrosion from prolonged saltwater exposure, it said in a statement.

Authorities are analyzing the origin, operational history and potential national security risks of the sea drone, which the PCG said matches a series of similar devices recovered since 2022, at least three of which were traced to China through Chinese SIM cards and transceivers linked to a China-based contractor.

“This incident highlights the need for continued community awareness and a whole-of-nation approach to deter unauthorized activities in our waters,” PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil L. Gavan said in the statement.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

The Philippine Navy in April said at least three sea drones recovered within the country’s waters in the past two years had a “50% to 80%” likelihood of being deployed by China and might have been intended for mapping out the sea floor of Philippine waters, in preparation for underwater warfare.

Equipped with advanced technology, the suspected Chinese sea drones could measure water depth, temperature, salinity, detect underwater sounds and transmit the data via satellite communication.

“Previous forensic analyses of similar recovered autonomous underwater vessels have identified them as tools for advanced underwater surveillance and seafloor mapping,” the PCG said.

Chinese research vessels were detected in northern Philippine waters earlier this year, prompting concern among maritime authorities over the possible military applications of scientific data collected during unauthorized surveys.

The Philippines and China have long clashed over competing claims in the South China Sea, a strategic and resource-rich waterway through which trillions of dollars in annual maritime trade flows.

Beijing claims nearly all of the contested waters via a U-shaped, 1940s nine-dash line map that overlaps with the exclusive waters of the Philippines and neighbors like Vietnam and Malaysia.

A United Nations-backed tribunal in 2016 voided China’s sweeping claims for being illegal, a ruling that Beijing does not recognize. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio