MANILA, Philippines – Fisherfolk on Friday, July 12, held a fluvial protest on the waters of Subic, Zambales, urging China to comply with the 2016 arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea.

The protest, led by fisherfolk group Pamalakaya, coincides with the 8th anniversary since an arbitral tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, ruled that most of China’s claims within the South China Sea were invalid.

“Eight years since the [Permanent Court of Arbitration] ruled in favor of the Philippines’ EEZ, we are still unable to fully control and utilize the marine resources in our territorial waters,” Joey Marabe, provincial coordinator of Pamalakaya, said in a statement. (READ: 8 years on, countries urge China to follow 2016 arbitral award)

Marabe said that continuously popularizing the arbitral ruling locally and internationally could help in the pursuit of a peaceful resolution.

“It is the Filipino people’s patriotic duty to assert our sovereign rights peacefully and diplomatically.”

China has become more aggressive towards Philippine vessels in the South China Sea. Filipino scientists conducting studies in the area have found damaged coral reefs in the area. The Philippine Coast Guard had tied environmental damage in the West Philippine Sea to China’s reclamation activities.

– Rappler.com