“Pres. Rodrigo Duterte should raise the sea row between the country and China involving the country’s exclusive economic zone,” the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said in a statement.
The group noted that “despite the international tribunal ruling favoring the Philippines’ claim over the West Philippine Sea, China has yet to give up its claim and construction of islands and military facilities continues in the disputed waters.”
“China’s massive reclamation activities might inflict heavy toll and irreversible damage to our marine biodiversity and moreover, to the livelihood of the Filipino fisherfolk in the long run,” it noted.
Pamalakaya said, however, that “progress of bilateral talks by President Duterte with China have made the Filipino fishers return to their traditional fishing ground in Scarborough Shoal after years of being denied access to their livelihood due to Chinese harassment and intimidation.”
It said Filipino fishermen “want to settle the dispute as peaceful and as diplomatic as possible without compromising the country’s economic affairs,” but urged China to give up its claim in the shoal area.”
