The plan of Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to file environmental charges against China before an international tribunal is getting support from senators.
Lawyer Terry Ridon, convenor of InfraWatch PH and former nominee of Kabataan party-list said he sees nothing wrong with the idea of the Justice chief to use the term “Sea of Asia” in the event the Philippines files a case against China for the destruction of corals and other alleged environmental crimes.
Remulla said the case is expected to be ready for filing early next year.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada is optimistic that the case is being studied thoroughly by the DOJ after China was reported to have destroyed corals in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“Nothing prevents us from filing a legal case, especially based on established international laws and agreements such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” Estrada said in a statement released on Sunday.
“What is at stake here transcends territorial claims and disputes, it’s the environmental degradation and destruction by China, a violation of an obligation under the UNCLOS to protect and preserve the marine environment,” he added.
Senator Grace Poe also assured that she supports the move and will continue to push for a budget increase for the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to better protect the country’s resources in WPS.
“We also support the plan of the Department of Justice to lodge a complaint over the destruction of our marine resources, which entails equal if not more focus from concerned agencies,” Poe said in a separate statement.
For Ridon, the country “should maintain the use of WPS in areas we deem as our territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, as this clearly defines the bounds of our maritime claim to the exclusion of all other states.”
Ridon said he believes the government led by the Justice Secretary will also seek guidance from the opinions and views of maritime and international law experts on the proposal to change the WPS title to “Sea of Asia.”
Remulla ealier said the term “Sea of Asia” means that the body of water is a shared resource for the whole world, but he clarified that it does not water down the concerns of the Philippines against China.
“This is an indigenously Filipino endeavor. Ito talaga, we’re trying to get the local talent that we have to help us. Ang tingin namin kasi, hinog na hinog na yung panahon,” Remulla earlier said.
He said the environmental complaint will most likely be filed in 2024.
The Philippines is eyeing fresh complaint vs China before Hague-based tribunal after the severe damage discovered by the Philippine Coast Guard following underwater inspections at the Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal.