President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday defended the removal of a Chinese floating barrier in the West Philippine Sea, saying that it was necessary to protect the country's fishermen and maritime territory.
In an interview with reporters in Siargao, Marcos said that the barrier was inside Philippine territory, preventing fishermen from accessing their traditional fishing grounds.
"I don't see what else we could do because those fishermen, when the rope was cut, the fishermen who entered on that day caught 164 tons of fish, just in one day. That's what our fishermen are losing. So, it's not right to put up a barrier like that, and it's clearly inside the Philippines," Marcos said.
"We're not looking for trouble. We're just going to continue to defend the Philippines, the maritime territory of the Philippines, and the rights of our fishermen who have been fishing in those areas for hundreds of years," Marcos added.
He added that he did not understand why China had installed the barrier, but that the Philippines was "avoiding conflict" and "heated words."
"We are steadfast in defending the territory of the Philippines," Marcos said.
In recent months, China's actions in the West Philippine Sea have been marked by an increasing level of aggression, asserting control over nearly the entire South China Sea.
China has also disregarded the 2016 arbitral ruling that upheld the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and rejected China's historical claims.
Last week, Chinese Coast Guard ships placed a barrier made of ropes and nets, supported by buoys, when a Philippine government fisheries vessel was approaching, and over 50 Philippine fishing boats gathered around the shoal, as reported by the Philippine Coast Guard.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said earlier this week that the Philippines might submit a new protest to a tribunal after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) uncovered damaged coral reefs in a region of the West Philippine Sea frequently visited by Chinese militia vessels.
In an interview with Anthony Taberna, Bersamin affirmed that China knew the Philippines' preference for a multilateral approach in its foreign relations.
The executive secretary verified that the President issued the directive to eliminate the floating barriers.
"When such orders are given, they come directly from the President after consulting with officials involved in the matter. We cannot disclose the details of how it was done. Still, a decision-making process was established, and they convened to decide to go there," Bersamin said.
