Following the reported destruction of corals in Escoda Shoal and Rozul Reef in the West Philippine Sea, a National Security Council (NSC) official said harvesting of corals is normally "a precursor to a reclamation".

In a television interview, NSC Assistant Director General and National Task Force - West Philippine Sea spokesman Jonathan Malaya noted that this is what the government has observed in the past activities in the West Philippine Sea.

"That's what we have seen in the past so, but as I said we don't have all the facts, what we know and, which is clearly what we have seen and we have shared to the public the videos of both reefs, definitely there is something illegal going on," he said.

"The environmental degradation is extensive and we need our scientific community in particular, our marine science people to look at the situation and give us a more detailed report utilizing a scientific lense...," he added.

Malaya said the NSC is now working with concerned government agencies and the "scientific community" to make a detailed assessment of the situation of the reef and shoal.

"There has been extensive ecological damage to both reefs, the reefs are lifeless, there is no sign of life, there is discoloration, there is an attempt to modify the natural topography of the terrain so this is very alarming and we are working with other government agencies in particular our scientific community, the UP Marine Science Institute so we can a get a more detailed estimate and probably a more scientific evaluation of what happened in these two reefs," he said.

Although the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) does not have clear proof that the destruction of coral was made by the Chinese militia despite their swarming in the affected area, Malaya noted the Chinese government has not yet issue any statement denying responsibility from the destruction of corals in two shoal and reef.

"In so far as the Philippine government is concerned there has been up to Thursday and the story is Saturday or Friday last week, there has been no official denial coming from he Chinese government that they were not responsible for the degradation in both shoals," he said. Robina Asido/DMS