Decade after, WPS fight continues
ON Saturday, July 20, 2024, Alyansa Bantay Kapayapaan at Kaunlaran (ABKD) staged a Pre-SONA Peace Rally outside the Commission on Human Rights to unveil President Marcos Jr.’s 'WPS Score Card.' The group gave the president a 90 percent rating for his West Philippine Sea stance, while the Chinese Coast Guard received a failing mark of 70 percent for continued harassment of Filipino fishermen. ABKD cited ongoing incursions and blockades by Chinese forces within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone, despite the 2016 arbitral ruling that affirmed Manila's maritime claims.
Photo by Analy Labort for DAILY TRIBUNE
A lawmaker on Sunday urged the government to remain steadfast in defending the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as the Philippines marked the 10th anniversary of the arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping “nine-dash line” claim.
Pinoy Workers Partylist Rep. Karl Fernandez Legazpi said the 2016 ruling affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights within its 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and underscored the need to protect the country’s marine resources and fishermen.
“As we commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Hague Arbitral Ruling, let us continue to uphold what is rightfully ours, stand by international law, and ensure that the West Philippine Sea remains a source of livelihood, food security, and opportunity for the Filipino people,” Legazpi said.
He said China continues to challenge Philippine rights despite the landmark ruling and noted that he had filed a resolution seeking a congressional inquiry into the reported presence of Chinese floating platforms near Bajo de Masinloc.
The anniversary was also marked at the Subic Bay Freeport, where the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority staged a ceremonial water gun salute and synchronized horn blasts by 28 vessels.