Environment Secretary Raphael Lotilla is urging the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to step up and play a more strategic role in defending the country’s maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). In a recent call to action, Lotilla emphasized that the agency’s environmental, scientific, and legal expertise is crucial in reinforcing the Philippines’ 2016 arbitral victory over China. “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.

Villamente, J. (2025, July 9). Lotilla: DENR must defend seas. Daily Tribune, p. A3.