Public urged: Boycott 'pro-China' politicians in May polls

The public was urged on Monday to boycott politicians in the upcoming polls who have remained silent or appeared sympathetic to China amid its persistent harassment in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). The most recent provocation involved the deployment of a deafening sonic device against the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

House Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V did not specifically name these politicians, but Assistant Majority Leader Jefferson Khonghun claimed that Chinese propaganda machinery is actively working to mislead voters into supporting pro-China candidates.

“The Chinese propaganda machinery is at work, influencing narratives and promoting their chosen candidates. We must stay vigilant and informed,” Khonghun warned. “We must choose leaders who will defend our territorial rights, not those who will bow down to China’s influence.”

According to Ortega, the longstanding China-Philippines maritime dispute goes beyond a territorial issue, extending to economic interests involving oil, gas, and fish resources.

He urged the public to remain vigilant against political candidates who “sell out our patrimony for political gain.”

“Our sovereignty is not for sale. If there are willing to join China's interests, they have no right to run for any position here in the Philippines,” Ortega stressed.

The lawmakers' call follows reports that a China Coast Guard vessel deployed a long-range acoustic device (LRAD), capable of damaging hearing and causing headaches, to harass the PCG in the contested WPS.

The PCG stated that the LRAD emitted high-decibel sound, apparently to deter the BRP Cabra from getting closer to a Chinese ship advancing near the coast of Zambales.

The use of LRAD adds to a series of China’s past aggressive actions against Philippine vessels, including the use of military-grade lasers, water cannons, and collisions with boats, among others.

Despite concerns from lawmakers that pro-China politicians might win in the mid-term elections, surveys indicate that a vast majority of Filipinos are already aware of the risks of voting for such candidates.

Based on a Pulse Asia survey conducted in September, seven out of ten Filipinos said they would not support political candidates with pro-China agendas. This figure outpaces the 5 percent who said they would vote for such candidates, while 23 percent remained undecided.

Mindanao recorded the largest support for pro-China candidates among regions, with one in every ten Filipinos pledging their support. However, a majority of respondents, or 74 percent, said they would oppose backing pro-China candidates.

China continues to assert its territorial claims in nearly the entire South China Sea, which overlaps with the WPS, despite a 2016 arbitral ruling declaring its sovereignty claims baseless. The ruling reaffirmed the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the WPS.