FISHERFOLK GROUPS CALL FOR HEIGHTENED SECURITY
Several fisherfolk groups urged the government to strengthen maritime security off Western Mindanao as Chinese Navy ships were seen sailing off the coast.
“They might not be that aggressive now here but we don’t know what will happen next given the tense situation in the WPS (West Philippine Sea),” said Katipunan ng mga Kilusang Artisanong Mangingisda sa Pilipinas leader Roberto “Ka Dodoy” Ballon in a Sunday statement.
“That is why there must be an aggressive action from our government, especially that they are penetrating our territorial waters and would be disadvantageous as threats are imminent.”
On June 7, two Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were spotted passing through the Basilan Strait close to the Zamboanga Peninsula.
In May, the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Mindanao Command confirmed the “innocent passage” of four PLAN vessels through the Sibutu Passage off Tawi-Tawi.
“It’s just so unfair that while Chinese warships freely navigate the waters in Mindanao, we are thrown out in our waters in West Philippines Sea,” Ballon said.
Meanwhile, Edicio “Ed” Dela Torre, president of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, said China's navigation in Philippine waters spoke of a “double standard” because they enjoy the rule of innocent passage under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea while harassing Filipino fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea.
“We are worried that our fishermen will be the next to suffer from crossing the sea or catching fish resources from our waters,” Ballon said.
The Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement is a non-government organization that pushes rural development and local democracy in the country.
The Philippine Coast Guard deployed maritime security groups in “critical regions,” including the Western Visayas, to enhance maritime security drive in Philippine domestic waters. — DVM, GMA Integrated News
This article Fisherfolk groups call for heightened security was originally published in GMA News Online.
2024-06-23T08:03:47Z dg43tfdfdgfd