Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte (PPAB)

Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte says the government should implement a “stronger presence” in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to protect Filipino fisherfolk from China’s unilateral four-month fishing ban.

In a statement on Sunday, June 9, Villafuerte reckoned that the Philippine Navy (PN), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) should ensure the protection of the country’s fisherfolk as China had threatened to detain for 60 days without trial foreigners who trespass into waters Beijing insists as their own starting June 15.

The Bicol lawmaker said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should also make good on its assurance to safeguard Filipinos fishing in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the WPS.

“We are taking the military as its word that our fishers have nothing to worry about because the AFP has their back and will provide protection to them against possible harassment from the Chinese in the WPS,” he said.

Earlier, the AFP said it has prepared contingency measures in case China starts to detain supposed trespassers in the disputed waters.

Likewise, the PN vowed that it would not carry out the “provocative” fishing ban.

Villafuerte stressed that China has no right to claim any islands or rock features in the WPS after these were declared legally part of the maritime territory of the Philippines in July 2016, as affirmed in the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

“This unilaterally-imposed fishing ban of Beijing in the WPS has neither legal nor scientific basis,” he stressed.

The National Unity Party (NUP) president noted that there must be a scientific study proving the necessity of a temporary moratorium on fishing in those waters. None was offerred with China’s imposed ban, there is none.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the fishing moratorium imposed by China already started on May 1 and is expected to last until Sept. 16, 2024.

The DFA recently lodged a diplomatic protest over China’s fishing ban in the South China Sea (SCS), which contains the WPS.

At the same time, Villafuerte says he is also backing the planned formal complaint against Beijing for its island-building activities that have damaged coral reefs in the cays near Pag-Asa Island and Sabina Shoal in the WPS.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) are currently planning the case.

“The opening of another legal front to protest China’s incursions into Philippine waters is certainly most welcome as part of the Marcos administration’s commitment to exhaust all means to bring to global attention—and generate broad international condemnation of—the nonstop bullying tactics of China in waters that are legally part of our maritime territory,” noted Villafuerte.