Various fishermen groups on Sunday has called on the national government to strengthen the country’s maritime security — particularly in waters off Western Mindanao — following recent reports of Chinese warships sailing in the area.

Katipunan ng mga Kilusang Artisanong Mangingisda sa Pilipinas (KMAP) leader Roberto Ballon has expressed concern over the presence of Chinese vessels near Philippine waters, citing the ongoing tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“While they may not be overtly aggressive now, the situation in the WPS is tense, and we don’t know what their next move might be,” Ballon said in a statement. “The Chinese presence in our territorial waters is a cause for alarm, and the government needs to take stronger action to address this imminent threat.”

The calls come after the Philippine Navy confirmed sightings of Chinese warships in various locations throughout May and June. These included four People’s Liberation Army Navy ships in the Sibutu Passage, Tawi-Tawi, two PLAN vessels passing through the Basilan Strait near Zamboanga Peninsula, and most recently, warships near Onok Island in Balabac, Palawan.

The recent sighting in Palawan follows an incident where the China Coast Guard reportedly harassed Filipino troops during a resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal.

Ballon criticized the perceived disparity in treatment.

“It’s unfair that Chinese warships can freely navigate Mindanao waters while Filipino fishermen are driven away from our own fishing grounds in the West Philippine Sea,” Ballon said.

Meantime, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement president Edicio dela Torre echoed Ballon’s concerns, pointing out the “double standard” at play, where China enjoys the right of innocent passage under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea while simultaneously harassing Filipino fishermen in the WPS.

Fisher groups fear they “will be the next ones to be prevented from accessing fishing resources in our own waters.”

The Philippine Navy has previously clarified that the Basilan Strait, Balabac Strait and Sibutu Passage are recognized as international sea lanes, permitting innocent passage by vessels of all nations.