The Philippines is investigating claims that sand dredged from its coastal waters has been used in China’s artificial island construction in disputed parts of the South China Sea, raising concerns over domestic complicity, ecological damage and national security.
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President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has ordered a full inquiry into the allegations following testimony in a Senate hearing on Wednesday, where a top intelligence official said sand from Manila Bay and other areas might have ended up as landfill for Chinese military outposts.
Ashley Acedillo, deputy director general of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), told senators that Chinese-linked reclamation and dredging activities had happened in several parts of the country, including the Cagayan province.
“There were earlier reports that sand taken directly from our coastal areas was being used as landfill, reportedly even in some of our disputed territories,” Acedillo said during a hearing of a Senate special committee on Philippine maritime and admiralty zones.
While no conclusive evidence has been presented, the intelligence agency is examining whether sand from Philippine sources was exported to support Beijing’s reclamation efforts, which have transformed the maritime landscape of the South China Sea over the past decade.
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Press Secretary Claire Castro confirmed the president’s directive, saying the investigation would examine any wrongdoing by local officials.