Fishers group okay with ‘Barbie’ film despite nine-dash line scene

Fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) sees nothing wrong in showing “Barbie” film in the country despite a scene in the movie showing China’s nine-dash line on the world map. China used the nine-dash line to illustrate claims to the West Philippine Sea (WPS). In 2016, an arbitral tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected China's nine-dash line claim in the West Philippine Sea in a case brought by the Philippines in 2013 based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). According to Pamalakaya, a single scene in a film “doesn’t have any bearing for what the Filipino fishers believe and stand for – that the West Philippine Sea is indisputably ours and ours alone.” “The Philippine government should instead popularize in different venues the 2016 arbitral ruling, as a way to uphold our national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it added. The group of fishers said that banning the film because of the nine-dash line scene like Vietnam “won’t make the Philippine government any braver.” “The Marcos administration would appear much tougher if it directly confronts China every time the latter causes an untoward incident in our territorial waters, rather than picking on a fictional film. For instance, Marcos should protest the recent harassment of Chinese vessel against Philippine Coast Guard in Ayungin Shoal,” Pamalakaya Chairperson Fernando Hicap said in a statement. “As for the Filipino fishers, we won't be spending even a minute nitpicking on a detail in a fictional film. We're too busy walking our talk and safeguarding our fishing grounds,” he added. Hicap noted that Marcos should garner international support to pressure China to abide by the 2016-arbitral ruling and ultimately give up its claim over the almost-entire West Philippine Sea, which includes our 370-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). “This is how the Philippine government can decisively and diplomatically assert our territorial and sovereign rights.” Recently, the group has urged the Philippines government to raise the issue of sea row in the upcoming 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September.