Activists belonging to the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), Anakpawis, Kilusang Mayo Uno and other groups on Tuesday marked the 120th Independence Day celebration with protest actions to condemn the continuing harassment of Filipino fishermen by Chinese naval forces in the West Philippine Sea.
According to Pamalakaya Chairman Fernando Hicap, the Duterte administration should file a diplomatic protest and condemn China’s latest bullying of Filipino fishers at the disputed marine territory, particularly the Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing ground of fishermen from Zambales, Pangasinan and other fishermen from other coastal towns in Luzon.
In a news statement, Hicap, a former Anakpawis party-list lawmaker, said celebrating Independence Day amid the Chinese intrusion and harassment of Filipino fishermen in the country’s own territory is “an exercise in stupidity and futility.”
He said it appears that modern-day colonialism is very much alive in poor countries like the Philippines, perpetrated by industrialized nations, such as the US and China, which are on a race to expand their political, socioeconomic and military clout in the region.
“The recent news report of Chinese Coast Guards who took the fish catch of our Filipino fishers’ smacks of insult to our sovereignty as it was done well within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. The report also revealed that this practice of the Chinese Coast Guards started after the completion of the artificial islands in Scarborough Shoal,” Hicap said.
He added: “We are equally insulted by Malacañang’s media stunt of inviting the fishermen who were the victims of Chinese Coast Guard harassment and robbery of their catch for it was aimed to deodorize the stinking foreign policy of the Duterte administration with China. We dare the government to stand with our fisher folks and protect them.”