Photo credit: PCG

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) has firmly denied the recent accusations made by Chinese authorities claiming that the BRP Sierra Madre has caused environmental damage to Ayungin Shoal. The spokesperson, Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, labeled these claims as false and a classic example of misdirection.

"It is China who has been found to have caused irreparable damage to corals," Malaya stated. "China's activities have inflicted untold damage on the maritime environment, jeopardizing the natural habitat and the livelihood of thousands of Filipino fisherfolk."

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) conclusively found China guilty of extensive environmental destruction. The PCA's Arbitral Award, particularly on Page 464, detailed China's construction of a large artificial island on Mischief Reef (Panganiban Reef) and large-scale island building on Cuarteron Reef (Calderon Reef), Fiery Cross Reef (Kagitingan Reef), Gaven Reef (Burgos Reef), Johnson Reef (Mabini Reef), Hughes Reef (McKennan Reef), and Subi Reef (Zamora Reef). These activities caused permanent and irreparable harm to the coral habitats and now serve as Chinese military bases.

The Arbitral Tribunal also highlighted Chinese authorities' awareness of their fishers' destructive practices, including the harvesting of endangered sea turtles, coral, and giant clams on a substantial scale. These methods inflicted severe damage on the coral reef environment, and the Chinese government failed to stop such activities.

A 2023 report by the independent non-profit organization Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) further corroborated these findings. The report indicated that over 6,200 acres (25 sq. kilometers) of coral reef have been destroyed by island-building activities in the South China Sea, with 75% of the damage attributed to China. Additionally, another 16,353 acres (66.1 sq. kilometers) of coral reef were damaged due to giant clam harvesting by Chinese fishermen, and China caused significant reef destruction through dredging and landfill, burying approximately 4,648 acres (18.8 sq. kilometers) of reef.

The Philippines has also gathered evidence implicating China in severe coral damage in Bajo de Masinloc, Rozul Reef, Escoda Shoal, Sabina Shoal, and Pag-asa Cays 1, 2, and 3. The swarming and illegal fishing activities of the Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM) have severely degraded the marine environment in the West Philippine Sea.

The NTF-WPS urges the public and the international community to remain vigilant against the spread of fake news and disinformation propagated by Chinese state-owned media and so-called "Chinese experts." These false accusations against the BRP Sierra Madre are part of a broader strategy to conduct malign influence operations in the Philippines.

Furthermore, the NTF-WPS calls for an independent, third-party marine scientific assessment in the West Philippine Sea by impartial, recognized experts. This assessment should employ underwater surveys, collated satellite imagery, photo and video references, and other scientific means to identify the causes of coral reef damages and other environmental destruction in the region.

The Philippines invites other Indo-Pacific nations to join in pushing for more united, coordinated, and sustained multilateral action to protect and preserve marine and land biodiversity in the region.