China must pay Philippines P800B for destroyed natural resources —Hontiveros

China now owes the Philippines more than P800 billion for the destruction of the country's natural resources amid Beijing's continued exploration of the West Philippines Sea, Senator Risa Hontiveros said Thursday.

Hontiveros made the remark as he called on Chinese government to pay reparations for the value of wealth and marine life destroyed in the disputed waters.

“Time to pay up. Dati nang umayaw ang Chinese Embassy nang naningil tayo ng mahigit sa P200 billion dahil sa paninira ng Tsina sa WPS mula 2013," Hontiveros said in a statement.

"Pero ngayon, umabot na sa higit walong daang bilyon ang halaga ng paninira nila sa ating likas-yaman, kaya patuloy ang ating pangangalampag," she added.

According to the senator, P231.7 billion-worth of reefs have been ruined at the West Philippine Sea over the past seven years, as published by the international journal Ecosystem Services last year.

Each coral reef is estimated to cost P18 million, and this amount was multiplied by 1,850 hectares of reef ecosystems in Panatag and Spratlys which have been damaged by China.

Moreover, a total of P644 billion fish catch have been looted since 2014, Hontiveros said, citing recent computations of investigative journalist Jairus Bondoc.

He came up with the figure by multiplying the 1.2 million tons of fish usually caught by Chinese vessels in Zamora and Panganiban reefs yearly with Seafdec's estimated value of fish catch at South China Sea per ton at P76,710.

"We cannot take back the marine resources that China has destroyed in the WPS. Habulin natin ang Tsina sa utang nila. Huwag nating sanaying naabswelto na lang sila palagi sa mga pang-aabuso nila sa ating bansa," Hontiveros said.

"Hinaharass na nga nila ang ating mga mangingisda, sinisira pa ang ating likas-yaman. Let’s not allow China to get away with this,” she added.

Hontiveros also pointed out that Filipinos have the right to demand reparations from China, considering that Japan paid the Philippines for damages during World War II. The United States also paid the Philippines after the USS Guardian rammed corals around the Sulu Sea back in 2015.

“We have to find a way to make China pay. Kung ang ibang bansa nagbayad, bakit ang China, hindi? Dahil sa ‘special relationship’ na naman ba?" she said.

"Huwag na nating hayaang lumobo pa ang kanilang utang dahil sa huli, ang Pilipinas at ang Pilipino na naman ang lugi,” she added.—LDF, GMA News