Recto wants probe, diplomatic protest vs. China over alleged dumping of waste in West Philippine Sea

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Tuesday urged the government to investigate and file a diplomatic protest against China over reports of Chinese ships allegedly dumping human waste in the West Philippine Sea.

“[The Department of Environment and Natural Resources] should investigate this, and if there is basis, file charges in court. Government cannot fine sidewalk litterers while turning a blind eye to this,” Recto said in a statement.

“[The Department of Foreign Affairs] should also study filing a diplomatic protest,” 

Recto said the actions of these Chinese ships are “by actions” renaming it as the “Waste Philippine Sea.”

“By turning reefs into toilets, two man-made things are now visible from space: the Great Wall of China on land, and the Great Wastes of China at sea,” he said.

“Ships are prohibited by domestic and international laws from dumping its refuse and trash into our oceans. Under Philippine laws, such are environmental crimes that carry a jail term and a hefty fine,” he noted.

Apart from him, Senator Risa Hontiveros said the Philippine government must confirm these reports to gather its own information on the activities of China in the West Philippine Sea.

“Dapat makumpirma iyan ng sarili nating gobyerno para may sarili din tayong datos sa kung ano na nga ba ang patuloy na sinisira ng Tsina sa ating karagatan. Kalakip dito, dapat patuloy din ang ating panawagang paalisin na ng Tsina ang kanilang mga barko,” she said.

(The reports should be confirmed by our own government so that we can gather our own data on the extent of China’s destruction in our territorial waters. Apart from this, we should continue calling for the withdrawal of the Chinese ships from our waters.)

Hontiveros also reiterated her call for the DENR to provide a baseline report on the natural resources that were destroyed in the West Philippine Sea.

“Mas mainam kung ang DENR mismo may opisyal na report na nagkukwenta kung ano na nga ba ang dapat bayarang danyos ng Tsina. Ito ang pwedeng magsilbing pamantayan ng ating pagsingil sa patuloy na pagmamalabis ng Tsina,” she said.

(It is better if the DENR has its own official report that shows how much China owes us. This will serve as basis to demand reparation for the abuses committed by China to our resources.)

In April 2020, Hontiveros has filed a resolution asking China to pay the Philippine government over P200 billion for damaging 1,850 hectares reef ecosystems in Panatag Shoal and the Spratly Islands since 2013.

On the other hand, Senator Panfilo Lacson said reports must be confirmed first before an official should take action on the matter.

“Aside from being a serious and sensitive issue to resolve, it involves an Asian neighbor with whom we have at least 5 decades of diplomatic relations,” he said.

Progressive lawmakers Arlene Brosas and Eufemia Cullamat on Tuesday also slammed the supposed dumping of human waste in parts of the West Philippine Sea by some Chinese vessels.

Brosas said she will file a House resolution to call for an investigation into the incident. Cullamat meanwhile called on the DENR to probe the matter, stressing that the national government must act on this to protect the country's sovereignty.

On Monday, Liz Derr, founder and CEO of Simularity, which specializes in geospatial analysis and provides satellite data imagery, revealed that Chinese ships have been dumping raw sewage every day for several years on reefs, creating harmful Chlorophyll-a blooms in the waters. —KG, GMA News