The destruction of the marine ecosystem in the West Philippine Sea, particularly in the Escoda (Sabina) and Rozul (Iroquois) Reefs, threatens global food security, Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri warned.
"This is a wanton destruction of our future food security areas. I am really angry with what they are doing," Zubiri said in a statement.
He made the comment following the report of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command of missing and destroyed corals along Rozul Reef.
The discovery of damaged corals came after the sightings of Chinese maritime militia vessels in the area.
The report was confirmed by the Philippine Coast Guard, which found similar observations on the seabed of Escoda Reef, also in the West Philippine Sea.
According to Zubiri, the destruction of marine ecosystems will have global consequences.
"This is not a destruction only on the Philippine side, but for the whole world. It's for the whole world because the species of fish that breed there are not only being harvested by Filipino fishermen, but also harvested by Malaysian fishermen, Vietnamese fishermen, even Chinese fishermen," he pointed out.
"So it is for the good of the world if our coral reefs are protected. That's why I'm really very mad," he added.
He also made an appeal to the Chinese Embassy in Manila to "tell their militia vessels to put a stop on this wanton destruction."
'Marine ranger stations'
To safeguard the country's marine resources in the West Philippine Sea, the Senate chief said the upper chamber would propose a P600 million budget to build marine ranger stations across the country.
"We agreed to it already. We already spoke to Senator Sonny Angara. The P600 million is to build marine ranger stations in different parts of the Philippines, including the West Philippine Sea," he said.
He noted that the upper chamber is working closely with the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources in setting up marine ranger stations in key coastal areas nationwide.
Aside from budget allocations for the establishment of marine ranger stations, Zubiri also vowed to fight for bigger allotments for the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy in the national budget for 2024 to boost their capabilities to protect and monitor the country's maritime zones.
"This budget is a critical budget. This is the time that we have to put our money where our mouth is. This is the time that we need to increase the budget for ships, patrol crafts, and marine research centers," he said.
Under the proposed P5.768-trillion National Expenditure Plan for 2024, the PCG has been allocated with P24.014 billion, an increase of nearly 10 percent from its allotment of P21.92 billion this year.
On the other hand, P40.97 billion has been set aside for the Navy, up from its current budget of P34.98 billion.
