An aerial view shows the BRP Sierra Madre on the contested Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin, in the South China Sea, March 9, 2023. - Reuters file photo
MANILA: The Philippines rejected on Tuesday (July 9) China's accusation that its grounded warship on the contested Second Thomas Shoal in the South China had damaged the coral reef ecosystem in the area, laying the blame for damaging the marine environment on Beijing.
The Philippine task force on the South China Sea in a statement called for an independent, third party marine scientific assessment of the causes of coral reef damage in the South China Sea.
