Fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) together with the Anakpawis Partylist held a protest outside the Chinese Consulate in Makati on November 24in protest of the Chinese coast guard’s use of water cannon against Philippine ships at the West Philippine Sea.
According to Bobby Roldan, PAMALAKAYA Vice Chair for Luzon, the actions of Chinese Coast Guard against Filipino supply boats was a flagrant display of arrogance and excessive force.
“It is tantamount to embargo which is immoral and inhumane. Moreover, if China was able to do it against Filipino authorities, imagine the more atrocities it could inflict against our vulnerable fisherfolks,” he said.
Filipino fishermen are scared to go to the West Philippine Sea due to the recent tensions, according to Roldan.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on November 18 that three Chinese Coast Guard vessels blocked and used water cannons on two Philippine ships carrying food supplies to the military assigned on Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.
The fishers’ group also called out China to respect the freedom of navigation, and Filipinos’ fishing activities in the West Philippine Sea.
“This protest is a reminder that Filipino fishers refuse to bow down to China’s intimidation and harassment in the West Philippine Sea. It is a continued assertion of our territorial and fishing rights no matter how powerful the foreign intruders are,” Roldan said.
PAMALAKAYA also stated that Beijing’s “rampant plunder and destruction of marine resources adversely affected more than 600,000 Filipino fisherfolks.”
According to the data of Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (AGHAM) cited by the group, the Philippines is losing at least P1.3 trillion a year due to the destruction of 16,000 hectares of coral reefs caused by China’s island building and illegal clam-poaching in the West Philippine Sea.
PAMALAKAYA said that they will push for international support to force China to pay for damages in marine resources and occupation of sea features.
“China should be compelled to pay for damaged reefs caused by its aggression and plunder, as well as make them pay back rent for the years of illegal occupation of sea features in our exclusive territory. The government’s cowardice and lack of political will to do so won’t stop us Filipino fishers from standing up against China or to any other foreign invaders,” said Roldan.
Additionally, Roldan demanded the government to defend what is ours, to implement the victory of our country against China on the West Philippine Sea,
“Kaya panawagan natin sa gobyerno, igiit na malayang makapangisda ang mga mangingisda at suportahan ang ating mangingisda para tayo ay makatindig sa sarili nang hindi na tayo umaasa sa importasyon,” he said.
(So our call to the government is to insist that our fisherman can fish freely and to support them to stand on their own feet so that we will no longer rely on importation.)
PAMALAKAYA said they will continue to defend our nation’s sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea and will continue to seek international help to stop China’s harassment and their territorial claims.
However, China continued their territorial claims despite the Arbitral Tribunal’s decision in 2016 favoring the Philippines claims on the West Philippine Sea.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian stated that Ayungin Shoal is a part of Chinese territory and the Philippines must remove the grounded ship (BRP Sierra Madre) where some Filipino troops are stationed.
The Chinese Official said, “China demands that the Philippine side honor its commitment and remove its grounded vessel on Ren’ai Jiao (Ayungin Shoal),”
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that there is no such commitment and the Philippines has two documents to prove that China has no right in the territory.
It can be recalled that the Arbitral Tribunal denied the nine-dash line basis of China’s claims. Ayungin Shoal is located 104 nautical miles from the baseline of Palawan and is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
