00:00The Philippines has accused China of using cyanide in waters around the Spratly Islands
00:05in the latest escalation in the disputed South China Sea.
00:09Manila's National Security Council says the alleged act was a form of sabotage
00:15aimed at depleting fish stocks and disrupting supplies for the personnel stationed there.
00:24Officials warn the use of cyanide could have caused serious damage to marine life
00:28and weakened the reefs surrounding a grounded Philippine warship in the area.
00:32They alleged the poisoning began last year around the 2nd Thomas Show,
00:36a key flashpoint in the Spratly Islands near major shipping routes.
00:40The accusation comes amid long-standing tensions between Manila and Beijing,
00:45including a violent clash last year involving Chinese Coast Guard personnel and Philippine forces.
00:51China continues to assert control over most of the South China Sea,
00:54despite an international tribunal rejecting its claims as having no legal basis.
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