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Zarate: Defend PH resources

April 24, 2021 Ryan Ponce Pacpaco 270 views

ON the 51st commemoration of Earth Day last Thursday, House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate called on the Duterte administration to “defend the Philippine’s environment and resources from China’s exploitation.”

“China’s expansionist and militaristic base building has already caused massive environmental damage to our country and is depleting our natural resources. The Duterte administration should act now to stop these environmentally degrading activities or there would be nothing left for future generations,” Zarate said.

Zarate said environmental and scientist groups like Kalikasan, Agham and Homonhon have reported many instances of China’s “destructive activities!, and, they are staggering and alarming.”

“Agham, for example, said that Chinese activities in the disputed seascapes in the West Philippine Sea resulted in at least 16,000 hectares of destroyed reefs as of 2017. The damage is estimated to reach up to P 33.1 billion per year if the encroachment continues,” said Zarate, a Davao-based lawmaker.

“Homonhon meanwhile said that dredging and mining operations were ongoing in the Davao Region, Central Mindanao, Northern Luzon, and other Visayas regions with the soil dumped to build China’s structures in the West Philippine Sea,” Zarate said.

“Also, fears of fish shortage surfaced amid reports that as much as 240,000 kilos, or more than 260 tons, are illegally taken daily by Chinese fishing vessels that had massed up in the Julian Felipe Reef since March, thereby depleting the fish catch of Filipino fisherfolks. This will worsen, especially with the latest defeatist statement of the president,” Zarate stressed.

“China funded projects like the Kaliwa dam and the Chico dam irrigation, the implementation of these will inundate thousands of hectares of watershed areas and parts of Sierra Madre. More importantly, it will displace indigenous people like the Dumagats and Remontados,” Zarate pointed out.

“These attacks on our country and destruction of our environment have got to stop. We hold the Duterte administration accountable for these continuing environmental injustices due to its subservience to China’s interests,” Zarate added.

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