DENR ordered to uphold PH maritime rights in WPS

Environment Secretary Raphael Lotilla has ordered officials and personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to intensify efforts in upholding the country's maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

- By JEL SANTOS

"The DENR is not just a steward of forests and rivers," he said. "We are frontliners in protecting what is ours—from ridge to reef, and across our rightful seas."

He directed DENR officials to use the agency's legal, scientific, and environmental resources to reinforce the Philippines' 2016 arbitral victory against China's expansive claims.

"These are essential to informing both Filipinos and the international community, protecting our marine environment from destruction, and showing that we are actively defending what is rightfully ours," Lotilla said during a DENR symposium recently.