MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang has admitted the country has problems in protecting its coastal waters and aquatic resources from poachers.
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda made the remark on Wednesday afternoon, a day after the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said that coral reefs twice the size of Manila had been destroyed by poachers.
“We have a problem in protecting our archipelagic waters. That is a concern for us,” Lacierda said during the day’s news briefing at the Palace.
Lacierda said the government has been taking steps to beef up its capability in patroling the archipelago.