PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., has directed an inquiry into allegations made by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) that sand from the coastal regions of the Philippines is being utilized for reclamation endeavors in contested territories of the South China Sea (SCS), as reported by the presidential palace on Wednesday.
“Upon receiving details about the situation, the President mandated a comprehensive investigation,” said Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Clarissa A. Castro during a news conference in Filipino on Wednesday. “Once a definitive investigation or resolution is achieved, corresponding actions will be promptly executed.”
If the extraction of materials from coastal regions for reclamation undertakings is substantiated, Ms. Castro indicated that individuals found accountable would face repercussions.
NICA Deputy Director Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo informed the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones earlier this week that dredging operations are taking place in several locales throughout the nation.
“These encompass the removal of sand from various municipalities,” he mentioned in Filipino. “There had been prior reports that sand extracted directly from our coastal regions was being utilized as landfill, allegedly even within some of our contested areas.”
China asserts control over more than 80% of the South China Sea, where it has reclaimed land and constructed military runways and lighthouses.
The island-creation initiatives have escalated tensions with countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam, both of which have conflicting claims concerning features in the sea.
Josue Raphael J. Cortez, a lecturer in diplomacy at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, described NICA’s discoveries as “concerning and enlightening.”
“This is due to the reality that we cannot entirely assert our sole rights over the disputed areas if a collective societal approach is not implemented,” he noted in a Facebook Messenger conversation. “Poor governance may be the underlying cause of such actions by external parties, prioritizing their interests over the security of the nation as a whole.”
He pointed out that China is recognized for its “debt trap diplomacy” and for enticing nations through various benefits.
“It would not be unexpected if some municipalities have succumbed to this Chinese tactic,” he stated.
Should the investigation validate that particular local government units collaborated with foreign entities, especially China, he emphasized that rigorous measures must be enforced.
“If this is not curtailed, it could lead to further covert operations by China, utilizing certain local government units as intelligence hubs in exchange for sourcing goods that they promise to buy at a higher rate.”
Relations between the Philippines and China have deteriorated over the past year as Beijing maintains its expansive claim that covers maritime features contested by Manila.
China claims over 80% of the maritime territory based on a 1940s map, which a United Nations-backed arbitration court annulled in 2016 due to its illegality.
Chinese and Philippine maritime activities near Scarborough Shoal surged in the previous year, with China’s coast guard progressively extending its perimeter around the disputed shoal towards the Philippines’ principal island of Luzon, as reported by maritime transparency organization SeaLight this week.
SeaLight’s surveillance recorded 1.5 million Chinese ship identification pings around the shoal, up from 724,000 the previous year, while Philippine activity quadrupled to 200,000, stated Anna van Amerongen, director of the SeaLight Tech Advisory Group, during an online maritime forum.
“The perimeter surrounding Scarborough Shoal has expanded and has become significantly more active,” she remarked.
Chinese vessels have been obstructing Philippine Coast Guard ships from operating within 32 kilometers of the shoal since May 2024, she added.
The shoal is located 240 kilometers west of Luzon and approximately 900 kilometers from Hainan, the closest major Chinese landmass.
In 2013, the Philippines brought the Scarborough Shoal dispute before a United Nations-backed tribunal, which ruled in 2016 that China had violated Filipino fishermen’s rights in accessing the area. Since then, Beijing has dispatched a fleet of coast guard vessels to uphold its claim despite the ruling.
Manila is observing the situation at Scarborough Shoal and is striving to assert sovereignty over the disputed feature by enhancing its presence amid Chinese opposition, National Security Council Assistant Director-General Jonathan E. Malaya stated during the forum. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana