THE United States government on Tuesday handed over a surveillance aircraft to the Philippines for monitoring increasing incursions by China in the West Philippine Sea, particularly its alleged harvesting of corals in one of the areas that lie within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The turnover of the US aircraft came days after China's alleged large-scale destruction of corals and other marine life in the Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea caught the world's attention.
Over the weekend, Vice Admiral Albert Carlos, commander of the AFP Western Command , reported that the weekend corals that grow in abundance in the shallow waters close to Rozul Reef have disappeared, apparently due to massive coral harvesting.Carlos said this was discovered by military divers who were asked to conduct an underwater survey after Chinese maritime militia vessels left the area.
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