The Supreme Court’s Order To Protect West Philippine Sea
SUPREME COURT – Last Friday, the Supreme Court ordered the preservation and restoration of three ruined reefs and shoals around the West Philippine Sea.
The three aquatic ecosystems are either taken by China, or surrounded by their vessels.
Recently, defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that the Philippine government asked China to recall their alleged vessels present near Pag-asa island.
The court order ‘writ of kalikasan’ covers these three marine bodies:
- Panatag / Scarborough Shoal
- Ayungin / Second Thomas Shoal
- Panganiban / Mischief Reef
The writ of kalikasan was an order presented by Chief Justice Reynato Puno back in 2010. It is a legal alternative that seeks to protect our constitutional right to a well environment.
The higher court accorded to the fishermen of Palawan and the residents of Zambales asking for help preventing illegal actions violating environmental laws within the country’s exclusive economic zone or EEZ.
This is according to an article from Inquirer.
Panatag or famously known as Scarborough Shoal is actually still a included in the parts of Masinloc, Zambales. The Ayugin Shoal and Panganiban reef, on the other hand, are within the parts of the municipality of Palawan.
Integrated Bar of the Philippines or IBP’s president Abdiel Fajardo stated that the Supreme Courts issuance of the writ of kalikasan proclaims their position that the three marine ecosystems that are within the country’s 370-kilometer Exclusive Economic Zone is supposed to be protected by the officials of the Philippines from possibly worse environmental damage.
Fajardo alose said that the order goes to show that the Philippines, through the judiciary, “is not waiving its rights over them” by affirming without question to unilateral actions directed by another state.
That is all there is to it, at least for now. We’ll post updates as soon as we got them.
