NSC suspects reef dumping by Chinese maritime militia in WPS

File photo shows the presence of at least 30 suspected Chinese maritime militia (CMM) vessels in Sabina and Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippines Sea.(Photo courtesy of PCG)

MANILA, Philippines — Chinese maritime militia ships may have dumped non-indigenous materials on Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Asst. Secretary Jonathan Malaya said on Monday. 

This comes shortly after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported extensive environmental damage to marine life in the area.

“Parang nagkaroon ng dumping. Parang yung ibang mga bagay diyan, ay galing sa ibang lugar, at dinadala doon. Mukha namang hindi basura pero crushed material na hindi indigenous sa lugar na iyon,” said Malaya on “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon”.  

(It was like there was a case of dumping. Some of the materials there came from another place and were brought there. It does not look like trash but crushed material not indigenous to that area.)  

Malaya said the area where the dead corals were found was where the maritime militia of China always stayed. 

“Kasi yung barko ng Tsina, nandiyan lang naman. Yun pala, hanggang nandiyan sila, nagswaswarming sila, may ginagawa sila sa ilalim. At ito yung napatunayan natin nung nagpadala tayo ng mga tao para tingnan yung state of the environment na discolored na,” said Malaya. 

(The Chinese ships have always been there. As it turns out, while they were swarming, they were doing something underneath. That is what we could prove when we saw the state of the environment that it was already discolored.) 

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 gsg/abc