By Mario Casayuran Since it is clear that China violated the rules in the traditional fishing grounds, the Duterte administration should show it is not a pushover and take action to protect the interest of the Filipino fishermen. Filipino fishermen (AFP Photo/Ted Aljibe) / MANILA BULLETIN This was demanded by the opposition Liberal Party (LP) to the reported illegal activities of Chinese Coast Guard personnel who rob Filipino fishermen of their meager fish catch at the Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal west of Zambales province. The LP stated that instead of taking action to protect our fishermen, the Duterte administration is taking an apathetic stance anew on the harassment and theft by Chinese coast guard. “Worse, government-sponsored troll machinery appears to be being used against these hapless fishermen of Zambales who had gone through a harrowing experience,’’ the LP said. “For these fishermen to be called liars and paid hacks by Internet trolls is something so outrageous,’’ the LP said. The opposition party pointed out that Filipino fishermen in the country live a hand-to-mouth existence with little help from the government. “Abused by the Chinese in the high seas, left without their catch and now attacked by their own government’s propaganda machinery, these Filipino fishermen can expect nothing from a morally bankrupt administration, led by the President and his spokesman, Harry Roque, who are both China fanatics,’’ It added. Critics of the Duterte administration pointed out that the United Nations Arbitration Court awarded to the Philippine government ownership of islands, islets, atolls and shoals in the contested territories in the West Philippine Sea. In that decision almost two years ago, the UN court rejected China’s historical claim over these contested territories, including the Scarborough Shoal. Scarborough Shoal is more than 200 nautical miles west of Zambales or more than 700 nautical miles east of Hainan province, the easternmost Chinese territory.