Malinaw na paglabag sa UNCLOS ang pagsira sa mga bahura — DND | Saksi - video Dailymotion

GMA Integrated News

Saksi is GMA Network's late-night newscast hosted by Arnold Clavio and Pia Arcangel. It airs Mondays to Fridays at 11:00 PM (PHL Time) on GMA-7. For more videos from Saksi, visit http://www.gmanews.tv/saksi.  News updates on COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) and the COVID-19 vaccine: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/covid-19/  #Nakatutok24Oras  Breaking news and stories from the Philippines and abroad: GMA News and Public Affairs Portal: http://www.gmanews.tv Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gmanews  Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gmanews Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gmanews  GMA Network Kapuso programs on GMA Pinoy TV: https://gmapinoytv.com/subscribe

Transcript

00:00 The Department of Defense is now verifying the damage caused to the reefs in the Iroquois Reef

00:05 in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

00:08 It is clear that this is a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS.

00:13 Witness, Joseph Moro.

00:16 It is a paradise to be considered the bottom of the sea in the Ruzul Reef of the Ciciri

00:23 by experts of the UP Marine Science Institute in 2021.

00:28 But the Ciciri, which was owned by the Philippine Navy in July,

00:31 has destroyed its coral reefs.

00:33 We have seen beautiful coral reefs.

00:36 On September 17, 35 Chinese maritime militia vessels were spotted in the Ruzul or Iroquois Reef

00:43 inside the exclusive economic zone or EEZ of the Philippines

00:47 based on a satellite image held by maritime security expert Ray Powell.

00:52 More than 32 Chinese militia vessels were spotted in the Ruzul Reef on September 15

00:58 according to the Western Command.

01:00 As well as 23 spotted this August and 20 spotted in May.

01:05 Here, the AFP, Western Command and Philippine Coast Guard

01:09 saw the corals that were possibly destroyed by coral harvesting

01:12 and will last for decades before being revived.

01:15 Depending on the species of corals,

01:16 corals will only grow 2 centimeters or more per year.

01:20 They have already cut the reef.

01:23 It could be that it's dead.

01:24 Because of that, it's possible that the corals will never return there

01:28 according to maritime law expert Jay Batong-Bacal.

01:31 What they're doing in Scarborough, our fishermen,

01:34 even if they go there, they won't see anything.

01:37 We don't have any clear proof to directly pinpoint.

01:42 But what is certain is that from August 9 to September 11,

01:46 here in this area, we monitored Chinese maritime militia vessels.

01:51 But it's not only the rich seas that are in danger.

01:55 According to AFP, Western Command,

01:57 they are chasing Chinese militia vessels.

01:59 But they're just going back and forth.

02:02 And it seems like they're trying to make a presence

02:05 in Ruzul and Escoda Shoal

02:07 because it's close to Recto Bank

02:09 where the rich are suspected of having gas and oil.

02:13 The Energy Department is studying Recto Bank

02:16 in a joint oil and gas exploration

02:19 under Service Contract No. 72.

02:22 Aside from oil, it's also possible that it's being prepared

02:24 to continue making the corals an artificial island.

02:28 It also, in a way, paves or flattens the reef structure

02:33 which can later on be paved with concrete.

02:36 According to the Defense Department,

02:38 it's clear that it's a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

02:42 As a 2016 Arbitral Award,

02:44 it was also confiscated in China

02:46 because of the previous violation of the corals

02:48 and the extraction of giant clams in the Philippines' EEZ.

02:52 Now, we have to validate it

02:54 and then we'll coordinate with the Department of Foreign Affairs

02:58 so that we can file the appropriate action.

03:00 The DFA has now issued an order

03:03 and has called for all to stop

03:05 any act that could damage the rich seas.

03:08 There is no announcement yet

03:09 if the Philippines will continue to protest against China.

03:13 But the President of the Philippines,

03:14 Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo,

03:16 has ordered the UN General Assembly in America

03:19 to sign the new agreement

03:22 under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS

03:26 that will ensure the protection and protection

03:29 of marine biological diversity in the ocean.

03:32 The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has no objection

03:35 to the DFA's statement and the allegation

03:37 that Chinese vessels were the last to pass through the Russell Reef

03:40 before the corals were destroyed.

03:42 For GMA Integrated News, I'm Joseph Morong, your witness.

03:46 [music]

03:48 [music]

Malinaw na paglabag sa UNCLOS ang pagsira sa mga bahura — DND | Saksi

Category

Transcript

Recommended