FILE PHOTO: A Filipino fisherman at the disputed Scarborough Shoal in West Philippine Sea, November 14, 2016. Photo by Rem Zamora
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines does not need a compromise with China to ensure that Filipino fishermen can sail on and fish in the country’s territorial waters.
The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) asserted this Thursday, after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that Chinese President Xi Jinping will find a solution to make sure Filipino fishermen can resume fishing in the West Philippine Sea.
“We don’t need Xi Jinping to come up with a ‘compromise’ to address the plight of Filipino fishers because we already have the legal and political claim over our territorial waters,” Fernando Hicap, the national chairman of Pamalakaya, said in a statement.
READ: Marcos: China vows solution to plight of Filipino fishermen in West Philippine Sea
According to Hicap, China’s “illegal” occupation of the Philippine seas has affected the income of fisherfolks in the country.
“There can only be one solution: China must abide by the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea that recognizes our exclusive economic zone,” he stressed
READ: PH wins arbitration case over South China Sea
Marcos is currently on a three-day state visit to China, where he met with Xi.
“I was very clear in trying to talk about the plight of our fishermen. The President promised that we would find a compromise and find a solution that will be beneficial, so that our fishermen might be able to fish again in their natural fishing grounds,” said Marcos.
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