Bayan: ‘The West Philippine Sea is not Duterte’s to give away’

Bayan denounces President Duterte's gving China fishing rights in the West Philippine Sea at a media briefing on July 18, 2019. Joviland Rita

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Thursday denounced President Rodrigo Duterte’s verbal agreement with China giving the foreign country fishing rights in West Philippine Sea.

“The West Philippine Sea is not Rodrigo Duterte’s to give away. It belongs to the Filipino people,” Bayan said in a statement on Thursday.

Duterte's move allows China to violate the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and claim the resources that should be reserved for Filipinos, the group said.

Bayan Metro Manila chair Raymond Palatino said in a press conference that Duterte’s pronouncements are self-contradictory.

According to Palatino, Duterte claims that the WPS still belongs to Philippines, but allows China to control the disputed territories and bar Filipino Fishermen.

“This does not make sense,” the group said.

Palatino also said that it was an absurdity for the president to use the Mutual Defense Treaty as an excuse to ignore China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

He said the MDT with the US only works when the Philippines is under attack—a point that Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio also made.

Palatino said Duterte is using the MDT to mock critics and sustain the false claim that standing up against China over the the sovereign rights of the Philippines will only result to a war. — BM, GMA News