“Their actions are not just destroying corals or fish; they are destroying Filipino lives, our very ability to put food on the table”
ONCE again I raise the alarm on the worsening plight of our fishing families and the blatant contradictions in China’s recent actions in the West Philippine Sea.
As someone who has long advocated for our sovereignty and Filipinos’ well-being, I can no longer stand by idly as I witness the destruction of both our marine ecosystems and our way of life.
Go to Subic, and you will see the heartbreaking truth for yourself. I have seen the boats, once the lifeblood of our communities, left to rot on the shore.
I’ve heard the stories of fathers who are forced to abandon a tradition that has sustained their families for generations, taking odd jobs in construction to make ends meet. These aren’t isolated cases. This is the human cost of China’s aggression and environmental destruction.
Hypocrisy of the Highest Order
The news that China plans to establish a “nature reserve” in Bajo de Masinloc is a slap in the face.
It’s a move that National Security Adviser Sec. Eduardo Año rightly called out for its clear irony.
The world knows that since 2016, Chinese fishermen have been responsible for the large-scale harvesting of endangered species and the widespread destruction of our reefs – activities that the Netherlands-based Permanent Court of Arbitration cited on July 12, 2016.
For them to now claim stewardship over an ecosystem they themselves have damaged is hypocrisy of the highest order.
How can those who have ravaged our reefs now call themselves its stewards? Their actions are not just destroying corals or fish; they are destroying Filipino lives, our very ability to put food on the table.
This so-called “reserve” is nothing more than a smokescreen for their aggression.
By invoking the language of conservation, Beijing is trying to mask its true intent, which is to justify the deployment of not just coast guard ships but even warships.
Their goal is to tighten their grip on waters that are rightfully within our Exclusive Economic Zone.
This results in more harassment of our fishermen and government vessels and a blatant violation of international law.
A Fight for Survival
This is the most evident proof of China’s deception.
They talk about reserves and protection, but what they practice is coercion and violence.
Even a recent humanitarian mission to deliver fuel and provisions to our fishermen was met with aggressive actions from nine Chinese vessels.
Every collision, every water cannon blast, is another nail in the coffin of their false narrative.
The fight for the West Philippine Sea is not just about maritime boundaries or legal rulings; it is about our survival.
Every abandoned boat is a story of betrayal.
And every Filipino must see that this is not just a fishermen’s fight. It is a national fight.
I call on our government and all of our people to rally behind our fishing communities.
We need urgent measures, such as fuel subsidies, modernized boats, and guaranteed access to our traditional fishing grounds.
But beyond immediate relief, we must stand united against China’s deceptive claims.
The sea cannot be guarded by those who destroyed it.
Only the Filipino fishermen, who have loved, respected, and lived by it, can genuinely be its stewards. And it is our duty as a nation to defend them.
(The writer serves as Chairman Emeritus of four civic-oriented organizations: Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (PADER), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI), and Filipinos Do Not Yield (FDNY) Movement, through which he continues to advance the causes of sovereignty, reform, and the dignity of the Filipino people.)
