MANILA, Philippines – Inihayag ni University of the Philippines – Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea (UP-IMLOS) Director Jay Batongbacal na dapat ay magsagawa pa ng mas maraming marine science survey ang Pilipinas kaugnay sa mga pagkasira na naitala partikular na sa West Philippine Sea.
Aniya, maaaring magsimula ang bansa sa pamamagitan ng pagdodokumento at pagbuo ng science-based analysis sa coral destruction sa lugar mula 2012.
“Since 2012, satellite imagery shows that the destruction continued and I, myself, some years ago, noted that more than 500 hectares of Scarborough Shoal have been destroyed in those intervening years between 2012 and around 2015 or 2016,” sinabi ni Batongbacal, kasabay ng Stratbase ADRi forum sa Makati City.
“We need to show that. We need to bring that up and show as well that the destruction continues,” aniya.
Sinabi pa ni Batongbacal na ang presensya ng maritime militia sa West Philippine Sea ay nagdudulot ng “some kind of destruction” sa coral reefs.
“The mere presence of your vessel can already destroy these sensitive reefs. The pollution that they produce while they’re there for months on end will also affect the water quality, and corals are very sensitive to water,” aniya.
“So there is a basis to document activities on these reefs, and then come up with some idea of the costs, especially for certain areas that are frequented by these,” dagdag ni Batongbacal.
Aniya, ang fact-finding initiative ay isa ring paraan para sitahin ang China.
“We don’t have to put everything in one basket, meaning everything in litigation or another case,” sinabi pa niya.
“There are still many other things that we can do even before that, and all these have to be part of a broad strategy that precisely takes advantage of all these many different options – – all of them calling China to account for its destruction of the coral reefs in the South China Sea,” pagpapatuloy ni Batongbacal.
Inaalam na ng Pilipinas ang mga legal na hakbang kaugnay sa pagkasira ng bahura at seabed sa Rozul Reef at Escoda Shoal sa West Philippine Sea.
Nauna nang sinabi ni Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra na inaalam na nila ang merits ng bawat legal na opsyon, kabilang ang posibleng paghahain ng reklamo sa mga pinsala, sa international tribunal na may tamang hurisdiksyon.
Humingi na rin ng tulong ang Philippine Coast Guard sa marine scientists upang pag-aralan ang lawak ng pinsala sa bahura at seabed sa
Rozul Reef at Escoda Shoal. RNT/JGC
