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Is the Philippines ever going to contest the presence of ‘Chinese fishing boats’ on Julian Felipe Reef?

Netizens noticed how the Marines and naval law enforcement were quick to apprehend a vessel from a Southeast Asian nation but have not even made any move to contest those Chinese vessels on the coast of Palawan.

The Duterte administration’s allegiance has once again come into question after netizens noticed how naval law enforcement can go after Southeast Asian boats—but not Chinese boats.

Earlier today, the Philippine Marines and the Philippine National Police (PNP) were able to apprehend a Vietnamese fishing boat off the coast of Tawi-Tawi for illegal fishing.

The vessel got impounded. The scenario may have gone under the radar had it not been for the presence of some 200 Chinese ‘fishing vessels’ anchored on Julian Felipe Reef.

Netizens noticed how the Marines and naval law enforcement were quick to apprehend a vessel from a Southeast Asian nation but have not even made any move to contest those Chinese vessels on the coast of Palawan.

A Netizen even called for President Rodrigo Duterte’s resignation after his failure to drive off the ships from Philippine waters.

Even ABS-CBN News journalist Chiara Zambrano, who broke the story on the recent naval arrest, could not help but questioned the government’s motives.

“Much of the one million vaccines donated [by China] went to the Department of Defense and the military… how will the government ably respond to the incursion in Julian Felipe Reef with this mounting debt of gratitude,” she tweeted.

To date, China will be the biggest supplier of vaccines to the Philippines with vaccines from western pharmaceuticals like Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca only available via the COVAX facility.

The situation has gotten to a point where legislators are also raising questions about the executive’s allegiance, with the Makabayan bloc making the first move.

The Makabayan bloc earlier filed House Resolution 1675, urging the House of Representatives to look into the still-present platoon of Chinese fishing vessels in Julian Felipe Reef.

“The reef is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, which the Philippines has exclusive right to use resources… according to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea.”

Prior to the Marines apprehending the Vietnamese vessel, Duterte has gone on record to say he has spoken to the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian about the issue.

However, even such has been questioned by Netizens, knowing how Duterte usually defers to Beijing on matters concerning the West Philippine Sea.

As for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), its chief, Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, has already ordered the deployment of additional Navy ships to increase maritime patrols in the West Philippine Sea.

Sobejana said sending ships to Julian Felipe Reef may be seen as antagonistic and trigger China to send its own more powerful Navy.

AFP has also received a message from China’s People’s Liberation Army, which stated that Beijing assured the Philippines that the vessels in Julian Felipe Reef are militia-free and that they were merely seeking shelter from “inclement weather.”

However, this got questioned as the ships are still there for two weeks since the Philippine Coast Guard saw the platoon on March 7.

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