PH eyes new complaint vs. China before Int'l Tribunal amid 'coral harvesting'

The Office of the Solicitor General on Wednesday said it is considering filing a new complaint against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration, this time on the reported damage to corals in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“The OSG is in the midst of a full-blown study on our legal options regarding the West Philippine Sea, including the filing of a new complaint with the Permanent Court of Arbitration,” Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra told GMA News Online.

Asked what will be the specific concerns that will be raised in the complaint, Guevarra said, "We’re not yet there. We’re still gathering relevant information from all available sources."

The Philippines first filed a complaint against China in 2013 for its massive claims in the South China Sea under its nine-dash line claim. 

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines, invalidated Beijing's claim, and said that its nine-dash line has no legal basis under international law.

China, however, refuse to recognize the ruling.

Coral harvesting

The Department of Justice (DOJ) recommended the filing of cases against China concerning instances of extensive coral harvesting in the WPS, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Tuesday.

Remulla said he would discuss the matter with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin "as soon as possible."

"We are recommending the filing of such cases against the perpetrators of this evil act, which is the destruction of the environment. We believe it can be done. We will pursue these cases against China because it's no longer acceptable. We have a lot of evidence," he said.

For Remulla, even without a territorial dispute, "the destruction of the environment is a sin against humanity."

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command on Saturday said that there were cases of massive coral harvesting in the Rozul Reef.

AFP-Western Command Commander Vice Admiral Albert Carlos said the military sent out divers after Chinese military militia vessels left the swarmed area “to do an underwater survey.”

“And we saw that there were no more corals. The corals were damaged, and there was debris,” Carlos said.

Severe damage

On Monday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed "severe damage" to the marine environment and coral reef in the seabed not only at the Rozul Reef but also at the Escoda Shoal.

BRP Sindangan and BRP Cabra patrolled the two locations after 33 Chinese maritime militia (CMM) vessels were spotted at the Rozul Reef and 15 at the Escoda Shoal from August 9 to September 11.

“The surveys conducted in Escoda Shoal revealed visible discoloration of its seabed, strongly indicating that deliberate activities may have been undertaken to modify the natural topography of its underwater terrain,” Tarriela said.

According to Tarriela, the corals were possibly harvested, processed, and returned to the seabed.

Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday said the reported destruction of coral at the Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal in the WPS was still being validated.

Teodoro explained that the destruction of corals and marine life violated an international treaty.

PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said they were working with concerned agencies to estimate the cost of the damage to corals in the WPS.

These agencies included the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the UP Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI). —VAL, GMA Integrated News