The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed concern that the mined black sand might be transported to China and potentially be utilized for military purposes.
This follows reports from several senators alleging that Chinese nationals are illegally extracting black sand, similar to rare minerals, directly from Zambales.
According to Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesperson for the Philippine Navy on the West Philippine Sea, the AFP is closely monitoring these reports.
"We are taking this very seriously. Considering that black sand and rare-Earth minerals have military technology applications," said Trinidad.
"However, we defer to the appropriate government regulatory and law enforcement agencies that have jurisdiction over this matter," he added.
He further stated that the mineral allegedly has military applications, which is why their team is taking the matter seriously.
However, Trinidad admitted that the AFP's hands are tied, as it is the responsibility of the appropriate law enforcement agencies to address and investigate such matters.
Black sand na ilegal umanong hinahakot mula Zambales patungong China, pinangangambahang may ‘military application’ — @TeamAFP | RH 52 @ednielparrosa, DZRH News#MagandangUmagaPilipinas
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) November 26, 2024
LIVE: https://t.co/A8PaG37Ha5 pic.twitter.com/U4hN9MYl0V
