Courtesy: Philippine Coast Guard
THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Friday has discovered that the physical characteristics of the LTE surrounding Escoda/Sabina Shoal are similar to those of the Sandy Cays which may be due to island-building activities in the West Philippine Sea.
West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said it is worth noting that this shoal falls within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, just 75 nautical miles from the coast of Palawan.
Tarriela said the PCG now launches rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) to inspect the low tide elevation (LTE) “for any dumped crushed corals.”
“After more than three weeks of monitoring, the PCG has discovered that the physical characteristics of the LTE surrounding Escoda/Sabina Shoal are similar to those of the sandy cays,” Tarriela said on X (formerly Twitter).
“It has been observed that crushed corals were dumped and it is highly likely that the maritime features were altered,” Tarriela added.
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