Wiped out, cleaned out, gone.

The gall of it all is what surpasses all understanding.

It's like some people traipsed into one's garden and started grabbing flowers, trampling on vegetable beds, leaving nothing but evidence of their disdain.

One can only deduce matters at this point — about Rozul, of course, that reef in the West Philippine Sea, well within the 200-mile radius of our exclusive economic jurisdiction, "where suspected Chinese militia vessels had been spotted," as reports said.

Who's the culprit?

Is it those who "swarmed" in one day and left behind empty seabeds?

Is it the keeper of those areas who came too late?

Several reports quote Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos, commander of the AFP Western Command, after a forum last weekend: "We noticed coral harvesting in their swarming areas. After they departed, we pinpointed the location and dispatched divers for an underwater survey. They observed that no corals remained — everything was damaged, with debris scattered."

Later, he added, "There's nothing left in the area."

"They," of course, refers to Chinese vessels  — around 33 in the Rozul area and ten around Escoda Shoal —gathered between 9 August and 11 September.

Suspected massive harvesting of corals had left "severe damage," the Philippine Coast Guard said, "inflicted upon the marine environment and coral reef in the seabed of Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal."

A careless disregard for the environmental effects notwithstanding, the reckless disregard for Philippine rights has left no doubt of the saboteurs' arrogance.

To ravage without compunction, ignoring ongoing disputes, certainly also leaves a warning of dominion.

We feel offended, violated, and worried about how the continued loss of habitat for marine life (and corals take decades to grow) will lead to biodiversity loss. When people mess with ocean life, it is also people who will eventually suffer from the adverse effects. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it, yet we see how this continues, with warnings and even protests ignored.

While the government moves to address the coral destruction off our shores, it should also force us to act toward protection and propagation.

It's no longer enough to raise a cry. Although there should be no let-up in our call for China to cease encroachment, we must simultaneously fight environmental degradation with positive action.

The good news is that all is not lost — not yet, anyway. While the damage to the planet is irreversible, we can mitigate the harm and strive to mindfully live in a way that would no longer rob future generations of a decent life.

There are different ways to help restore and rehabilitate the environment, and the government should actively support efforts to restore a semblance of the earth as it once was.

All over the world, for example, warriors for the planet work to increase the mangrove cover. For the ocean, there is coral gardening, in which scientific techniques have been proven to grow corals.

In our own homes, we can segregate trash, eliminate plastic use, plant our own food, reuse materials, and so on. Admittedly, it isn't easy to change a lifestyle, but it's not impossible.

While we're doing all that, let's keep our fences strong against marauders.