Members of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) held a protest action along the coast on July 12 to mark the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in 2016 regarding the issues in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). The protest commemorated the ninth anniversary of the PCA’s arbitral ruling.

In its 2016 decision, the court nullified China’s claims over almost the entire South China Sea, including large parts of the West Philippine Sea, under its so-called “9-dash line.” The court also upheld the Philippines’ sovereign rights over 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the country’s coastline, which constitutes its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This was established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The ruling also stated that Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) is a common fishing ground shared by traditional or small-scale Filipino, Vietnamese, and Chinese fishers. This means Filipino fishers cannot be prevented from entering and fishing there. It is also covered by the Philippines’ EEZ.

The decision also criticized China for its unlawful harassment of Philippine vessels operating within the EEZ, describing it as a violation of the country’s sovereign rights. It emphasized China’s environmental destruction in several areas of the West Philippine Sea through its land reclamation projects that created artificial islands.

As stated in the decision, “China is both guilty of plundering the marine environment through its large-scale reclamation and poaching activities, and violating the fishing rights of Filipino fishers in our exclusive economic zone,” Pamalakaya chairperson Fernando Hicap said.

He added that nine years after the landmark victory in the PCA, China continues to violate the country’s fishing rights in much of the West Philippine Sea. The fisherfolk leader stated that these actions adversely affect more than 600,000 fishers and fishing industry workers across various provinces nationwide.

Hicap called on China to comply with the court ruling and to respect the rights of Filipino fishers. Alongside this, Pamalakaya is pushing for diplomatic efforts to advance the demilitarization of the WPS without the interference of foreign powers in the country’s maritime territory.