China may face sanctions for allegedly dumping human waste in WPS, says Batongbacal

China could face sanctions for dumping human waste and sewage from hundreds of Chinese ships anchored in the South China Sea and parts of the West Philippine Sea, a maritime law expert said Tuesday.

Atty. Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines' Institute of Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said the Philippines could file a case versus China for dumping waste in Philippine waters.

"'Yong exclusive economic zone natin, this is subject to our jurisdiction, lalo na pagdating sa environmental regulation. 'Yong mga water quality rules natin, puwede nating gamitin at puwede nating sitahin sila na na-violate nila ang laws natin doon," Batongbacal said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

"Pagdating sa international law, mayroon mga standard din 'yong emission ng ship source pollution. Mayroong mga rules na maaaring ma-invoke natin tapos mayroon ding standing rules sa deliberate dumping of waste in the ocean. Bawal dapat 'yan," he added.

To prove China's illegal activity on Philippine waters, Batongbacal said water quality samples and assessment are needed from the damaged area.

Moreover, he said sovereign vessels have sovereign immunity.

"Hindi sila basta-basta puwedeng i-demanda," he said.

However, private vessels may be sanctioned as they violated the law.

Earlier, a United States-based expert said China vessels had been dumping human waste in parts of the West Philippine Sea.

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.

Showing satellite images in the last five years, Derr said effluent from Chinese ships are causing elevated concentrations of Chlorophyll-a leading to "a cascade of reef damage that will take decades to recover even with active mitigation."

At least 236 ships were spotted in the Union Banks or Pagkakaisa Reefs, which is within the West Philippine Sea as of June 17, she said.

Derr said the marine damage is in addition to the well-documented destruction by China of coral reefs, the harvest of endangered giant clams and artificial island-building. —Ma. Angelica Garcia/NB, GMA News