Foreign military 'intervention' warned in upcoming West Philippine Sea naval drill
MANILA, Philippines — A progressive fisherfolk group warned that the upcoming Philippines-Japan-Australia-US joint naval drills could increase tensions in the West Philippine Sea at the "further expense" of Filipino fisherfolk.
The US Department of Defense recently announced that the "maritime cooperative activity" would take place within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) area of the South China Sea come April 7 (US time).
"It is the Filipino fisherfolk all over again who will bear the brunt of China’s retaliation against these provocative naval drills with other countries," said PAMALAKAYA national chairperson Fernando Hicap on Saturday.
"It has been proven that foreign military exercises did not dispel Chinese Coast Guard vessels from our territorial waters. On the contrary, Chinese forces have increased rapidly in response to the successive joint maritime exercises conducted by the Philippines and the US," he added.
"So why does the Marcos Jr. administration keep on joining military exercises with other countries in our seas?"
The four countries earlier said that the activity intends to demonstrate their collective commitment to "strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific," this while upholding the "right to freedom of navigation and overflight, and respect for maritime rights under international law."
While PAMALAKAYA understands that the Philippines needs support from the international community to pressure China to leave Manila's territorial waters, Hicap said that the country needs to be wary of other superpowers that take advantage of the dispute in advancing their economic and geopolitical interests.
Beijing continues to maintain its presence within the West Philippine Sea even after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 invalidated the former's claim to almost the entire South China Sea.
"Upholding our national sovereignty should not rely on any foreign countries that similarly impose their dominance and control over us," Hicap said.
"The Filipino fishers vow to be more vigilant against this another military intervention in the guise of protecting our sovereignty from China," he added.
The group said that they would continue to assert that the Philippines should stand on its own feet at fight for its national sovereignty peacefully and diplomatically using international laws that recognizes its EEZ.
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