Camp aguinaldo: There is no indication that the crushed corals found in several features in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) were a result of human activity, a ranking Philippine Navy (PN) official said Tuesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, in a media briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, PN spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad stated that the coral buildup may have been due to "tidal movement or weather disturbances." He emphasized that checks with partner agencies in the maritime domain, including the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), showed no presence of any vessel dumping crushed corals.

The crushed corals have been observed in Hasa-Hasa Shoal, Sabina Shoal, and Sandy Cay in Pag-asa Island. Rear Admiral Trinidad mentioned that the rise in the elevation of these features could be attributed to recent weather disturbances, which typically cause tidal movements or accumulation of crushed corals on shallow portions of the WPS.

Rear Admiral Trinidad assured that regardless of changes in the elevation of WPS features, the military's posture in the area will remain unchanged. "We are there to secure the integrity of our national territory," he stated.