22-9-2023 (MANILA) The Philippines is considering legal action against China, accusing it of causing extensive damage to coral reefs within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea. Beijing has vehemently denied the allegations, dismissing them as an attempt to “create political drama.”
The Philippine foreign ministry announced on Thursday (Sep 21) that it was awaiting assessments from various agencies to determine the extent of the environmental damage in Iroquois Reef, located in the Spratly Islands. The country’s solicitor general, Menardo Guevarra, will guide the Philippines in taking appropriate measures.
Guevarra revealed on Friday that the Philippines is examining the possibility of filing a second legal case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague. The country had previously won its initial case filed in 2013, challenging China’s territorial claims in the region.
The decision to pursue further legal action is based not only on the alleged reef destruction but also on other incidents and the overall situation in the West Philippine Sea, Guevarra explained to Reuters. A report and recommendation will be submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and the foreign ministry. The term “West Philippine Sea” is used by Manila to refer to the part of the South China Sea it claims.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs expressed its readiness to contribute to the effort, emphasizing that states entering the Philippines’ EEZ and maritime zones are obligated to protect and preserve the marine environment.
Any move towards arbitration would be highly controversial following the Philippines’ historic victory in 2016, when the arbitral tribunal ruled that China’s claims of sovereignty over most of the South China Sea had no basis under international law. The disputed Iroquois Reef is located near the Reed Bank, where the Philippines aims to access gas reserves, a plan complicated by China’s competing claim to the area.
China, which has refused to acknowledge the 2016 ruling and has expressed dissatisfaction with repeated mentions of the case by Western powers, has denied the recent allegations of coral reef destruction.
“We urge the relevant party in the Philippines to stop creating a political drama from fiction,” stated the Chinese embassy in Manila, citing Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.
The Philippine coast guard and armed forces earlier this week reported “severe damage inflicted upon the marine environment and coral” at Iroquois Reef. They noted that 33 Chinese vessels had been anchored in the area between August and September. These vessels, typically fishing trawlers, were described as part of a “maritime militia” and were engaging in coral harvesting. Coral in the South China Sea is used for various purposes, including construction materials, traditional medicines, and souvenirs.
China has asserted its sovereignty claims over the Spratly Islands by constructing manmade islands on submerged reefs, some of which are equipped with runways, hangers, radar systems, and missile installations. Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines also have a presence in the archipelago, where their respective EEZs overlap.
