Posted on August 13, 2025
With the revival of the quad-committee (quad-comm) in the 20th Congress, its former overall chairman, Robert Ace Barbers says he will recommend to the body an inquiry on all China-led dredging that have been carried out in the country.
This, as the former three-term Surigao del Norte congressman pointed to possible national security risks and environmental issues caused by such activities.
“I think dapat imbestigahan yan ng quad-comm 2.0 dahil isang isyu yan na hindi dapat isangtabi or balewalain. Malaki ang usapin tungkol sa aggression na ginagawa ng mga Chinese sa West Philippine Sea (WPS),” Barbers said.
(I think quad-comm 2.0 must investigate that, because that’s an issue that shouldn’t be cast aside or ignored. There is big discussion about Chinese aggression in the WPS.)
Barbers noted that last May, President Marcos ordered a thorough investigation into the dredging and reclamation activities in Philippine waters after the Naional Inteligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) disclosed that sand from the country’s coastal areas was being used in China’s reclamation activities in the WPS.
“Sila ay nakapagtayo ng kanilang mga installation dyan sa areang yan gamit yung ating lupa. If not to be technical about it, atin pa rin yun kasi lupa natin yun eh,” Barbers said.
(They were able to build installations in that area using our soil. If not to be technical about it, those installations are still ours because our own land was used for it.)
“So I guess dapat malalimang investigation. Ipatawag natin yung NICA, yung NSA (National Security Adviser), yung DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH),” he said.
(So I guess an in-depth investigation is in order. Let’s invite NICA, NSA, and DPWH.)
“At sino ba ang pumirma ng kontratang dredging na yan? Halimbawa, nagde-dredge sila somewhere in Isabela, sino ba ang involved dyan? Is it the local government or the national government. I’m sure marami pa [sa ibang lugar],” said the ex-quad-comm chief.
(Who signed then dredging contract anyway? The dredging in Isabela, for example, who was involved in that? Is it the local government or the national government. I’m sure there are more in other places.)
Incidentally, Aug. 12 was the first anniversary of the quad-comm’s formation in the 19th Congress.
Barbers said that the special four-way joint panel blew the lid off of Chinese activities that brought more gambling and illegal drugs into the Philippines.
Barbers also acknowledged the environmental and ecological woes caused by dredging, if not done properly or with no regard for the immediate community. This is especially the case with black sand mining in the guise of dredging for river renewal.
“Dapat i-audit yun kasi may post-mining audit dapat gawin dyan eh. Kung black sand mining yan, dapat i-audit din yan. Ano bang ginawa niyo dun sa areang hinukayan niyo ng black sand?…inayos niyo ba?” he asked.
(That should be audited because a post-mining audit is supposed to be done there. If that’s black sand mining, it should also be audited. What did you do with the area where you excavated black sand?… Did you restore it?)
Barbers added: “Kung dredging naman yan, tignan din yung environmental implications nun…dapat silipin yan, imbestigahan yan.”
(If that’s dredging, then the environmental implications of that should also be examined… That should be looked into, investigated.)
Fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) earlier blamed former president Rodrigo Duterte for the sharp decline in fish catch in Cagayan River because of massive dredging operations carried out during his administration.
Cagayan River is the longest and largest river in the country. Located at the Cagayan Valley region in northeastern Luzon, it traverses the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela, Cagayan, and Aurora.
The House quad-comm is composed of the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, on Public Order and Safety, on Human Rights, and on Public Accounts. Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. is the overall chairman of quad-comm version 2.0 in the 20th Congress.
