Poe on Reports that China Vessels Are Dumping Human Wastes in the West PH Sea

It is certainly infuriating and disgusting to hear the reports of human wastes being dumped on the West Philippine Sea. Isa itong tahasang insulto hindi lamang sa ating soberanya kung hindi maging sa lahat ng umaasa ng kabuhayan mula sa karagatan.

Hindi ito gagawin ng kahit sinong matinong kapitbahay. This adds insult to injury. We are not the dumping site of any country, let alone by a nation laying claims on our territory.

China treating us as its toilet is a clear violation of both international and local environmental laws. The Stockholm Declaration requires all states to "take all possible steps to prevent pollution of the seas by substances that are liable to create hazards to human health, to harm living resources and marine life, to damage amenities or to interfere with other legitimate uses of the sea."

Similarly, we have local laws like R.A. 9275 or the Clean Water Act, and R.A. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 which impose penalties on such acts.

If the laws of men are not enough, basic laws of human decency demand that we do not submit to this debasing treatment. Dito nga sa atin, kahit walang batas, sinusunod natin ang "Tapat ko, linis ko."

The act of dumping wastes in the area clearly shows that the dumper knows the West Philippine Sea is not theirs, for otherwise they would have respected the ecological value of the rich fishing ground.

We can only hope that this comes as a wake up call to the administration on the stinking reality that China gives no respect to international law, whether it be our territorial or environmental rights.

The government must strongly condemn this and demand the immediate cessation of any waste-dumping activities in the area. Anything less would be unacceptable.