Fisherfolk and youths held a fluvial parade in Subic, Zambales on July 12 to commemorate the 2016 decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) regarding maritime and resources rights in parts of the West Philippine Sea disputed in between the Philippines and China. The youth also held an action at the Chinese consulate in Makati City that day to register support for the international court’s decision.

In the parade led by the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) in Zambales, fisherfolk and youth carried streamers and the Philippine flag. They also displayed a large version of the first page of the PCA decision in 2016.

In the court’s decision, it nullified China’s claim, under what it says is the “9-dash line,” to the entire South China Sea, including a large part of the West Philippine Sea. The court also affirmed the sovereign right of the Philippines to 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the coast of the country which is considered the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This is as stipulated under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The decision also stated that Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) is a common fishing grounds shared by traditional or small-scale Filipino, Vietnamese and Chinese fisherfolk. This means that Filipino fisherfolk cannot be prevented from entering and fishing there. It is also part of the Philippine EEZ.

The decision also condemned China for its illegal harassment of Philippine vessels sailing in the EEZ and is a violation of the country’s sovereign rights. It emphasized China’s environmental destruction on some parts of the West Philippine Sea due to its reclamation projects in the area to build artificial islands.

Pamalakaya said it has been eight years since the PCA [issued its decision], but the Philippines has still not fully controlled and used its marine resources. They emphasized that it is important for Filipino patriots to peacefully and diplomatically assert our sovereign right to the EEZ.

“There are many ways to do so, and one is to consistently campaign and popularize the arbitral ruling locally and internationally,” Joey Marabe, Pamalakaya-Zambales coordinator, said. He also called on fellow Filipinos to unite for a peaceful settlement of the matter to ease tensions in the ocean.

The action at the Chinese consulate was led by Youth for Justice and Peace, an alliance of young students, church workers and other groups that oppose US wars of aggression in the Asia-Pacific. They staged a protest at the consulate as they believe that the US is using the issue to impose hegemony and interfere in Philippine affairs.

“We must prevent warmongers inside the Philippine government and the United States from escalating these tensions to a full-blown war,” Ysabelle Briones, the group’s spokesperson, said.

Briones refered to the “supply missions” of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard, with the help of the US military, as missions orchestrated to provoke China. These were further intensified by war games and military exercises conducted by the US and its allies inside Philippine territory.

“In light of these developments in the WPS, there is a pressing need for a peaceful resolution to the tensions brought about by this long-standing maritime dispute,” Briones stressed.