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Philippine Coast Guard 05112024

Michael Delizo

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday said it has discovered crushed corals allegedly dumped by Chinese ships in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in a supposed new reclamation attempt</p><p>The coast guard <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/18/23/pcg-videos-show-damage-to-rozul-reef-escoda-shoal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reported similar findings at Escoda </a>last September after monitoring dozens of Chinese maritime militia vessels at the shoal and at Rozul Reef.</p><p>“Sino ba among countries in the South China Sea ang meron talagang walang pakundangang pagsira ng marine environment? It’s only China. Sino lang ba ang puwede nating ituro lahat? China lang,” PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a media forum in Quezon City.</p><p>(Who among the countries in the South China Sea brazenly destroy the marine environment? It&#x27;s only China. Who else can we point to? It is only China.)</p><p>The PCG earlier deployed the BRP Teresa Magbanua in Escoda Shoal following a report on April 15 of the presence of Chinese maritime militia ships in the area, which is just 75 nautical miles or around 120 kilometers off the coast of the main Palawan island.</p><p>After over three weeks of monitoring, Tarriela said it was discovered that the physical characteristic of the low-tide elevation surrounding Escoda Shoal are similar to those of the cays in Pag-asa Island, which the University of the Philippines Institute of Biology described as in “degraded states.”</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/4/pag-asa-cays-in-degraded-state-over-new-island-building-activities-study-1431" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pag-asa cays in ‘degraded state’ over new island-building activities: study</a></div><p>Tarriela said the crushed corals were dumped and it is highly likely that the maritime features were altered.</p><p>“Malulungkot ka sa naging itsura na ngayon ng Sabina Shoal. If you’re going to talk to fishermen in Palawan, alam nila kung gaano kayamang pangisdaan dati ang Sabina Shoal,” Tarriela said</p><p>(How Sabina Shoal is now will make you sad. If you&#x27;re going to talk to fisherment of Palawan, they know how rich a fishing ground Sabina Shoal used to be.)</p><p>He added that the deterioration of Sabina Shoal is alarming because of how close it is to Palawan.</p><p>Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa said it would take around 300 years for a damaged coral to naturally recover.</p><p>The BRP Magbanua has been in Escoda for almost a month now — the longest-ever deployment of PCG — to prevent supposed illegal activities to continue in the area.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1789134249922314600&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fnews-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fpersonal%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Anews-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2024-05-11T06%3A58%3A59.292601%3A5121eb19-1e2a-4329-8b27-e5ed23de2fb9%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=2d96373b62550fff4f9a49dda06c085ceff69d11&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:623px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1789134249922314600"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>Tarriela maintained the PCG will not use force or violence to drive the Chinese vessels away.</p><p>“Hindi ito state of helplessness, sir. The mere fact that the Philippine Coast Guard has prevented the Chinese government in continuing their island reclamation in Sabina Shoal, it means we are remained to be effective,” he said.</p><div><strong>POSSIBLE OUTPOST NEAR REED BANK</strong></div><p>Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said China’s reclamation is Escoda Shoal could lead to the putting up of an outpost near the Reed Bank, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits.</p><p>“What they are planning to do is to have an outpost near the Reed Bank to prevent us from getting the gas,” Carpio told ABS-CBN News. “The challenge for us is how to get the gas in Reed Bank. If they put up outpost there, that will make it more difficult for us.”</p><p>Carpio said the Philippines should filed a fresh case against China for damaging the Escoda Shoal and creating an artificial island.</p><p>“We’re the only ones who can build an artificial island on our exclusive economic zone – so that will be in violation of UNCLOS, in violation of the arbitral tribunal. And if they are building there now, that means they are the one who destroyed Escoda Shoal,” he added</p>

<p>The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday said it has discovered crushed corals allegedly dumped by China in Escoda or Sabina Shoal in a supposed new reclamation attempt.</p>

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday said it has discovered crushed corals allegedly dumped by China in Escoda or Sabina Shoal in a supposed new reclamation attempt.

PCG: Escoda Shoal in sorry state after coral dumping for reclamation attempt

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PCG: Escoda Shoal in sorry state after coral dumping for reclamation attempt

Michael Delizo,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 11, 2024 03:27 PM PHT

Read More:

Escoda Shoal

Sabina Shoal

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

Philippine Coast Guard

Antonio Carpio

Teresa Magbanua

Jay Tarriela

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