MANILA, Philippines--EIGHT Filipino seafarers Friday received P30 million as a reward for helping the United States prosecute the owners of two ships for dumping sludge oil and contaminated wastewater in American waters.

The Filipino seamen, who requested anonymity, received the $730,000 or close to P30 million reward money at the US Embassy for testifying against two merchant vessels that dumped pollutants in US waters off Florida and Puerto Rico.

"The United States views pollution of the ocean as a crime against citizens of all nations, and it has laws to prosecute those who pollute the environment as well as laws that reward persons who cooperate with authorities to arrest and prosecute the violators of those laws," said US Ambassador Kristie Kenney in a statement.

Embassy officials said the seamen reported to American authorities after they saw two vessels dump sludge oil and contaminated wastewater into US waters. It was, however, unclear when the incident happened and how the Filipinos happened to spot the illegal dumping.

In the US government's behalf, the Filipino seamen testified in grand jury proceedings and "were prepared to testify at the trial if called." Details of court proceedings were also not released.

"... [A]s a result of the seamen's cooperation, the companies who owned the ships and the ships' principal officers pleaded guilty," the embassy said without identifying the violators.

The embassy gave the reward money to the Filipinos on the authority of US District Courts in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Jacksonville, Florida, under a US government program that rewards individuals who help prosecute cases of environmental law violations.

The embassy said there were no further details about the incident.