Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said yesterday the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands has emerged as the country's primary choice before which to bring a possible reparations case against China over the destruction of coral reefs in the West Philippine Sea.

But Remulla also noted that the International Court of Justice, or ICJ, remained a viable option for a redress of grievance.

"The PCA would be the best (venue) to bring the case, although the ICJ could also be it. But better the PCA because they already have a memory of all that China has been doing," said Remulla. "It's best to bring it to the PCA because the facts are already recognized by the body."

Remulla said he will meet with Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra and the officials of relevant government agencies to deliberate on the nation's legal course of action.

On 16 September, the military reported the discovery of massive coral damage at Rozul Reef, also known as Iroquois Reef, in the WPS. The destruction was discovered after Chinese vessels had swarmed the area.

On Monday, Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, confirmed the "severe damage" to the marine environment and the coral reefs on the seabed of Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal.

The PCA under the United Nations ruled in 2016 that China's nine-dash line claim over the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, was invalid.

Since then, the arbitral ruling has been repeatedly invoked by the Philippines and other nations with overlapping claims in response to Chinese maritime aggression.

But Beijing has largely dismissed the international ruling, claiming it had no legal basis.