Kalayaan ‘field trip’ postponed

THE YOUTH group planning to stage a 30-day protest at the Kalayaan group of islands to assert the country’s claim to the West Philippine Sea has postponed the trip anew.

Instead, the Kalayaan Atin Ito group of youth volunteers will leave Manila for Palawan via commercial ship on Friday, rather than their initial plan to leave last Monday.

The group, led by ex-Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon, said the Philippine Coast Guard was preventing them from renting boats to take them to Pagasa island where they plan to live for the next 30 days.

Jasper Niel Cruz, one of the protesters, said they will leave for Palawan on Friday although there was no definite date for the voyage to the Kalayaan islands.

“Our plan to leave last Monday did not push through because many of our volunteers’ flights from the Visayas were canceled due to inclement weather. They only arrived that day while others are scheduled to arrive in the coming days,” Cruz said.

The protest is aimed at highlighting the Philippines’ right over islands in the West Philippine Sea, amid a territorial dispute with China.

So far, 120 volunteers have reported to the group’s headquarters in Taytay, Rizal. More are expected to arrive from Zamboanga, Isabela and other provinces. Earlier, Kalayaan Atin Ito said it expected over 10,000 volunteers.

Cruz said the Coast Guard was barring boat owners in Palawan from ferrying anyone to Pagasa.

“If they rent out boats to Pagasa, they will be stripped of their franchise,” he said.