Environmental case vs China completed 'in a few weeks' —DOJ

The environmental case that the government seeks to file against China over destruction in the West Philippine Sea may be completed "in a few weeks," the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Thursday.

“Confident naman po tayo na in a few weeks mabuo na yung ating complaint at yung mga attachments na ebidensya,” Justice spokesperson Atty. Mico Clavano said in an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.

(We are confident that in a few weeks, the complaint and the attached evidence will be completed.) 

“So hopefully with the help of the Solicitor General, we will be able to file an environmental case against China,” he added.

Clavano did not mention any target date regarding the filing.

Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla first mentioned the filing of a case against China in September 2023, after the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command confirmed that there were cases of massive coral harvesting along Rozul (Iroquois) Reef in the West Philippine Sea.

He later said that the government may file the case in early 2024.

Meanwhile, retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio previously urged the government to include in its complaint the damage in the Escoda Shoal. 

The Philippine Coast Guard had accused China of building an artificial island in Escoda Shoal, saying that the dumping of crushed corals near the shoal may be in preparation for China’s reclamation activities.

In 2013, the Philippines challenged China’s legal basis for its vast claim in the South China Sea before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands. 

Manila won the case in a landmark award in 2016 after the tribunal invalidated China's assertions. Beijing, however, does not recognize the ruling. —KBK, GMA Integrated News