ACT party-list backs calls to probe Chinese dredging in Cagayan
ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro — File photo from the House of Representatives
MANILA, Philippines — Seeking accountability for the Chinese-led dredging in the waters off Cagayan province should not stop just because operations have ceased, ACT Teachers party-list leaders said on Friday as they backed calls for a thorough investigation of the issue.
In a statement on Friday, both ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro and former lawmaker Antonio Tinio said the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) call for an independent probe — and possibly a congressional one — is justified even if Malacañang said the dredging ended in 2023.
The dredging operations started when former president Rodrigo Duterte was still in office, and extended into the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. However, it was stopped under Marcos’ term, Malacanang said, because of the “poor market condition of the dredge materials.”
“We fully support the demand of Pamalakaya for an immediate investigation into the environmental destruction and economic displacement caused by Chinese dredging operations in Cagayan. This is not a closed case simply because the operations have ended,” Castro said.
“The fisherfolk continue to suffer the consequences, and justice demands that those responsible—foreign companies and complicit government officials—be held accountable,” she added.
According to Castro, there should be a determination on how extensive the dredging operations’ damage was, and which Chinese companies should be responsible for this.
“Hindi sapat ang sinasabi ng Palasyo na tumigil na ang operasyon noong 2023. Dapat alamin kung gaano kalawak ang pinsala sa kalikasan at kabuhayan ng mamamalakaya, at dapat managot ang mga kumpanyang Tsino na sangkot,” she noted.
(It is not enough that the Palace said that operations have ceased since 2023. We should know how extensive the damage was to the environment and the livelihood of fisherfolk, and the Chinese company should be held accountable.)
Tinio, who is seeking a return to the House of Representatives in the 2025 midterm elections, meanwhile stressed that this is an example of how foreign corporations exploit the country’s resources.
“This is a clear example of how foreign corporations are allowed to exploit our natural resources at the expense of Filipino livelihoods and sovereignty. There must be full disclosure of all agreements made between the national government and these Chinese firms. We call on Congress to summon former and current officials who facilitated these projects,” he said.
“Ang tunay na hustisya ay hindi lang pagtigil ng operasyong mapanira, kundi ang pagpaparusa sa mga responsable at pagpapanumbalik sa kabuhayan ng mga mangingisda,” he added.
(True justice is not just stopping these destructive operations, but also punishing those responsible and helping affected fisherfolk regain their means of livelihood.)
Pamalakaya recently criticized the government’s alleged inaction and the lack of transparency regarding the dredging operations, which they said were falsely labeled as “desiltation projects.”
However, Pamalakaya believes that the dredging operations facilitated a large-scale extraction of sand and minerals — which possibly damaged the marine ecosystem in the area.
Tensions have been high over the country’s waters, but issues usually stem from the western side — a huge part of which China claims ownership of. But recently, incidents with Chinese vessels also reached the eastern side of the country — near Cagayan — even if it is far from their mainland.
Early this April, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported sightings of Chinese research vessels near Itbayat island in Batanes, and then in Cagayan.
PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said that Chinese ship Dian Ke 1 Hao was sighted about 46 kilometers off the coastal town of Sta. Ana in the province.
It was the second Chinese research ship to enter the country’s northern waters this month.
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Both Castro and Tinio called on the relevant House panels to initiate public hearings regarding the affected communities, while ensuring that stakeholders — fisherfolk, environmental experts, and civil society groups — are able to voice concerns.
“The people of Cagayan deserve answers. They deserve justice. This is a test for Congress — will it act in defense of poor fisherfolk, or will it serve foreign interests?” Castro asked.
