A crime had been committed right under the collective noses of Filipinos, and it's not at all a whodunit case that would require the services of a modern-day Sherlock Homes. In most likelihood, the culprit was the one who last left the crime scene.

The abomination that cries out for justice concerns the wanton and massive coral harvesting that had left the bottom of the Rozul Reef in the West Philippine Sea ghoulishly white, with the sands bereft of life-sustaining coral formations.

After conducting an underwater survey in the area, Philippine Navy divers reported that "there were no more corals" at Rozul, with tell-tale signs of massive recent harvesting of the habitat of fishes and other marine species.

On Saturday, the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines reported the discovery of the ghastly rape of Rozul Reef after Chinese maritime militia vessels swarmed the area that forms part of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone or EEZ and continental shelf.

WesCom commander, Vice Admiral Albert Carlos, revealed the "concerning resurgence" of swarming incidents in Rozul Reef by Chinese vessels, including the about 40 boats spotted in the area on 15 September. Swarming was also observed in Escoda or Sabina Shoal, and it is imperative that the Philippine Navy or Coast Guard also checks the corals there. There may be none left, too.

While trade in corals is not illegal globally, it is nonetheless regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES. This international treaty aims to protect endangered species from over-exploitation through international trade.

Corals are listed in Appendix II of CITES, which means that trade in corals is permitted, but it must be managed sustainably to avoid harming the wild populations. CITES requires exporting countries to issue permits for all exports of corals, and importing countries must check that the licenses are valid and that the corals were obtained legally.

Likewise, several other international laws concern the protection of coral reefs, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

However, as the trade in corals is illegal in the Philippines — the Fisheries Code prohibits the taking, possession, sale, purchase, transport, export, or importation of corals without a permit — whoever decimated the corals at Rozul Reef may be held accountable both under Philippine and international laws.

To emphasize, CITES mandates coral-exporting countries to issue permits covering all exports of corals, so what happened at Rozul Reef is already actionable before international judicial bodies like the Permanent Arbitration Court which, in 2016, affirmed Philippine entitlements in its WPS EEZ.

Coral reefs play a vital role in the ecology of the oceans. They are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, supporting over 25 percent of all marine life. They also provide several important ecological services like protecting coastlines from erosion and storms as they act as natural barriers, absorbing wave energy, and reducing erosion.

At the same time, coral reefs provide food and shelter for various marine organisms, including fish, invertebrates and algae. Many commercially important fish species depend on coral reefs for spawning and nursery grounds. They also absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

As seen from famous Philippine recreational dive sites like those found in Palawan, coral reef formations support tourism, thereby providing economic benefits to coastal communities worldwide.

In this crime against nature, we stand not just as Filipinos seeking justice, but as custodians of our planet's ecological heritage. Whoever pillaged Rozul Reef must be held accountable, not just before our courts but in the court of global opinion.

To a couple of our valiant senators who rued the presence of United States military assets in the South China Sea, saying the Philippines can manage its own affairs against China, they are either delusional or they need to read up on how Beijing had been using strong-arm tactics to press its illegal ownership claim over the South China Sea, including the WPS.

Instead of insisting that the China Coast Guard is a civilian instead of being an entity under China's People's Liberation Army, they should focus on providing our Navy and Coast Guard the resources and funding to be able to effectively patrol our sovereign territories.

The more these "learned" and "honorable" lawmakers open their mouths, the more they appear like Chinese apologists or, at the very least, so afraid of Beijing that they'd want our Navy and Coast Guard meekly submit to Beijing's expansionist designs.