Secretary Lorenzana says DND’s checking on widely publicized reports of sewage dumping
MANILA – The Department of National Defense today said they have noted the circulating online news reports on the alleged dumping of wasted in the South China Sea.
In a statement, Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana said the photo accompanying the news “is of a ship on the barrier reef in Australia taken in 2014.
“We are verifying the correctness of the said report by Simularity,” he said.
He added while they are still confirming the account if the wastes have reached Philippine seas, “such irresponsible acts, if true, will undoubtedly cause grace damage to the marine ecology in the region.”
“Despite overlapping claims and interests by states in the South China Sea, all nations must be responsible stewards of the environment,” he concluded.
This was his reaction to a report by Simularity Founder and CEO Liz Derr who spoke before the Albert Del Rosario (ADR) Forum yesterday.
During the forum, Ms. Derr said swarms of Chinese vessels have discarded human waste and wastewater for years in the disputed area of the South China Sea which caused algae blooms which damaged coral reefs and endangered fish in a possible catastrophe.
In her remarks, Ms. Derr said satellite images from the past five years show how human waste, sewage and wastewater have amassed in a number of reefs in the Spratlys. (Melo M. Acuña)
Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana. (File Photo/Melo M. Acuna)
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