Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday demanded that the Chinese government should shoulder the costs of the Philippines’ COVID-19 response, in reparation for the annual losses the country has incurred due to China’s damage of reef ecosystems in the West Philippine Sea.
“China should foot the Philippines’ COVID-19 bill. The destruction to our reefs in Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands is equivalent to at least P33.1 billion in losses annually, on top of other economic and health costs,” said Hontiveros.
“This money is past due and could go to government’s efforts in fighting the pandemic,” said Hontiveros, citing the breakdown of costs stated by the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute.
She citedd a report by the Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Strategy which stated that China began reclaiming land in the West Philippine Sea in December 2013.
“China has been damaging our ecosystems for over 6 years now, which means our losses could already amount to over 200 billion pesos. This money could be used to fund our health and economic plans as we transition to a new normal,” the senator said.
She said despite the pandemic, China has continued its land reclamation operations and illegal fishing activities in the West Philippine Sea, which means that the Philippines’ losses will only continue to grow.
“The government already has a huge budget deficit because of COVID-19. China’s ongoing disregard for our own resources will worsen our economic standing,” she said.
“The government should demand what is rightfully ours and use this to help the Filipino people battle COVID-19,” she added.
On top of the money that could be collected from the West Philippine Sea damages, Hontiveros said that the government should also demand the P50 billion unpaid taxes from Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.
“Again, this is money that should be used to strengthen our health system, to increase the aid given to low- and middle-income families, and to help us recover post-COVID,” she said.