MANILA, Philippines – Senator Grace Poe on Sunday, April 24, said she will stand for the right of Filipinos to fish in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) despite China’s aggressive behavior there.

In the last presidential debate sponsored by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Poe said, “Hindi po personal aquarium ng mga Intsik ang West Philippine Sea (The West Philippine Sea is not a personal aquarium of the Chinese).”

Poe then cited ways to help Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea, among them, to buy them radios, and to give more vessels to the Philippine Coast Guard.  

At the same time, she wants to award scholarships to the fishermen’s children.

Addressing the fishermen, she said in the debate organized by broadcast giant ABS-CBN, “Hindi po kayo puwedeng agawan ng isda doon sa mga lugar na ‘yon, kaya dapat kausapin ang local government na tulungan talaga kayo (You cannot be robbed of fish in these areas, so we reall need to talk to the local government to really help you).”

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, for his part, clarified his recent flip-flopping stance on the West Philippine Sea dispute. (READ: Duterte’s last resort on West PH Sea: Let’s not insist on ownership)

Duterte, for one, said he acknowledges the arbitration case filed by Manila against Beijing over the West Philippine Sea. 

If the Philippines wins the case and China refuses to heed the ruling, Duterte said he himself will plant the Philippine flag on one of China’s structures in the disputed waters.

He said he will assert the Philippines’ ownership and tell the Chinese to do what they want with him. 

“Matagal ko nang ambisyon na maging hero ako. ‘Pag pinatay ako doon, bahala na kayong umiyak dito (I’ve long wanted to be a hero. If they kill me there, go ahead and cry for me here),” Duterte said. 

Scholarships for fishermen’s kids

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, another presidential bet, said she wants legal and diplomatic means to solve the West Philippine Sea dispute.

In the first place, she said, “we have world public opinion behind us.” 

Referring to China’s claims, she said, “Huwag na tayong paandaran nang ganyan (They shouldn’t do that to us).”

Meanwhile, presidential bets Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II both stressed long-term ways to solve the West Philippine Sea dispute. However, they also emphasized the need to help Filipino fishermen in the contested waters.

Binay said he will push for talks with China’s leaders on the maritime dispute. The Vice President has long urged bilateral talks between Manila and Beijing to resolve the issue. (READ: Binay: ‘China has money, we need capital’)

While doing this, he said he will offer capital to Filipino fishermen and also give free education and medicines to their families.

“Nandiyan po ang pamahalaan para tumulong sa pang-araw-araw na kailangan ‘nyo sa buhay (The government is there to help in your daily needs in life),” he said. 

Like Binay, Roxas said that while the problem demands long-term solutions in the military, for example, it also calls for aid to fishermen.

Roxas said he will push for “cash for work” for fishermen as well as scholarships for their children. 

Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio of the Philippine Supreme Court said a practical issue is at stake in the sea dispute. 

“The issue here is whether the Philippines will keep 80% of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, or we lose it to China,” Carpio told Rappler’s Maria Ressa in June 2015.

“If we lose 80% of our EEZ in the South China Sea, that means we lose 80% of the fish we catch annually in the South China Sea,” Carpio said.

The Philippines awaits the ruling of an arbitral tribunal in The Hague on Manila’s case against Beijing over the West Philippine Sea. While this case is pending, China has built artificial islands in the disputed waters to assert its ownership. (READ: China’s artificial islands now a third of Manila City) – Rappler.com