PROTECTING WHAT IS left of the environment is a must, but identifying who should protect it is another thing.
In an apparent display of rage, civic leader Dr. Joe Antonio Giotia warded off claims made by China whom he accused of masquerading as environment warriors even as he cited documented evidence pointing to China as the culprit behind the destruction of the disputed maritime region.
“The sea (West Philippine Sea) cannot be guarded by those behind its destruction,” said an obviously pissed off Goitia following reports on China’s claim that they have established the area surrounding Bajo de Masinloc as a ‘nature reserve’.
AÑO REBUKES CHINA
No less than national security adviser Secretary Eduardo Año issued a sharp rebuke to the latest development inside the 200-nautical mile Philippine exclusive economic zone referred to as the West Philippine Sea.
According to Año, such a claim is in direct violation of Philippine sovereignty as the area is an integral part of the country’s territories.
Moreover, the vast expanse of sea has been threatened with complete destruction and its marine resources lost due to the incessant activities of Chinese vessels conducting regular fishing expeditions and mineral extraction in Bajo de Masinloc.
“The irony is clear, since 2016, evidence has shown large-scale harvesting of endangered species and reef destruction by Chinese fishermen, activities even cited by the (international) arbitral tribunal,” he added.
“To now claim stewardship over an ecosystem that they themselves have damaged is both contradictory and misleading.”
EXTREME HYPOCRISY
Dr. Goitia, chairman emeritus of the 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, echoed the national security adviser’s warning, stressing that “how can those who ravaged the reef now call themselves its protectors?”
“[This] is hypocrisy to the highest order and worse, their actions are not just destroying corals or fish, they are destroying Filipino lives, our very ability to put food on the table,” he enthused.
“Go to Subic and you will see the truth. Boats left to rot on the shore, fathers taking odd jobs in construction, families abandoning a tradition that has sustained them for generations. These are not isolated cases. They are the human cost of China’s aggression and environmental destruction,” he added.
WANTON DISREGARD
Developments in the contested area have further highlighted the contradictions as confrontations between Chinese patrol and fishing vessels and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and local fishermen continue to escalate.
On Tuesday, September 16, a new maritime encounter unfolded after Philippine and Chinese ships reportedly collided near Bajo de Masinloc. Beijing accused Manila of “provocative acts,” but the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and PCG denounced China’s so-called “regulatory measures” as illegal harassment within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Reports also confirmed that even a humanitarian mission to deliver fuel and provisions to Filipino fishermen faced aggressive actions from nine Chinese vessels.
“China’s claim of establishing a ‘nature reserve’ is a contrived legal excuse. By invoking the language of conservation, Beijing is trying to mask its true intent, to justify the deployment not only of coast guard ships but even warships, and to tighten its grip on waters that are rightfully within our Exclusive Economic Zone,” Goitia averred.
MORE HARASSMENT
Cordoning Bajo de Masinloc, he added, would result in more incidents of harassment among fishermen and government vessels, even as he insisted that such an act constitutes violation of international laws.
The civic leader stressed that such actions by China cannot overturn the 2016 Arbitral Award or the ruling of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that favors Philippine claims in the disputed areas of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“China’s so-called ‘reserve’ is a cover for an unlawful occupation. The world must see through this deception, because it is not about protecting the sea, it is about illegally taking it,” he said.
“This is the clearest proof of China’s duplicity. They speak of reserves and protection, but what they practice is coercion and violence. Even humanitarian missions for our fishermen are not spared from harassment. Every collision, every water cannon, is another nail in the coffin of their false narrative,” he further stated.
CALL FOR ACTION
In the end, Goitia called on both government and civil society to rally behind fishing communities, through urgent measures such as fuel subsidies, modernized boats and guaranteed access to traditional fishing grounds.
But beyond immediate relief, he likewise underscored the need for unity in standing firm 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 truly be its stewards. And it is our duty as a nation to defend them,” he repeated to conclude.