Senator Leila de Lima filed a resolution seeking a Senate investigation into claims that Chinese vessels were dumping human waste in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
De Lima filed Senate Resolution 778, saying the Senate must determine the extent of the damage caused by the dumping of waste in Philippine waters “to protect our marine resources within our territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).â€
“Unmitigated and deliberate waste-dumping will not only damage our marine resources, but will also endanger our food security by destroying the breeding grounds of aquatic species in the areas affected,†the opposition senator said in a statement.
“This unregulated dumping of waste in our waters constitutes a direct affront to our sovereignty and an attack on our territory. If our government fails or refuses to act, it will prejudice the interests of our country, now and for future generations.”
The lawmaker also raised the need to “review existing laws to cover vessels that stay for extended periods of time in waters over which our country exercises sovereign rights.”
She cited Section 4 of Presidential Decree 979 or the Marine Pollution Decree of 1976 which prohibited the discharge or dumping of oil, noxious gaseous and liquid substances and other harmful substances from or out of any ship, vessel, barge, or any other floating craft, or other man-made structures at sea, by any method, means or manner, into or upon the territorial and inland navigable waters of the Philippines.
De Lima meanwhile criticized the administration for tagging the report on dumping of human waste in the WPS as fake news instead of ordering an immediate investigation on the issue.
“Kung sabagay, mahirap talagang mapaniwala ang matagal nang nagbubulag-bulagan o nangungunsinte pa sa pang-aabuso’t pambabalasubas ng Tsina sa ating sariling karagatan,” the detained lawmaker said.
(It is really hard to persuade those who choose to be blind and those who tolerate Chinese abuses in our territorial waters.)
On Monday, US-based geospatial analyst and satellite data imagery provider Simularity reported the dumping of human waste by hundreds of Chinese ships in the WPS.
Showing satellite images in the last five years, Liz Derr, founder and CEO of Simularity, 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.”
On Thursday, Simularity encouraged the Philippine government to validate their findings on Chinese ships dumping waste in the West Philippine Sea to see its effects on the reefs.
Previously, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the photo attached in the Simularity presentation last Monday is from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Nevertheless, Lorenzana said the Philippine government was already “verifying the correctness” of a report on Chinese vessels allegedly dumping human waste and sewage in the West Philippine Sea. )
If true, Lorenzana said that the Department of National Defense would confirm if the waste from “such irresponsible acts” had already reached Philippine waters.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) also said it will call the attention of the Chinese government once the agency verifies the report on the alleged dumping of human waste and sewage in the West Philippine Sea. — DVM, GMA News
