MANILA – Sen. Imee Marcos urged the government to join its Southeast Asian neighbors in formulating a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on fishing in the South China Sea to ease the tensions in the region.
“Both Malaysia and Vietnam have evinced their intent to sign preliminary fishing agreements, converting thus what had been a roiling six-party dispute ongoing for 15 years into a mutually beneficial and transparent commercial enterprise,” Marcos said on Tuesday.
The MOU should also pave the way towards a long-awaited Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Code of Conduct in the South China Sea this August.
“Other parties besides China have more frequently encroached and exploited Philippine fishing grounds to very little notice, making an ASEAN Code both urgent and important,” she added.
Marcos stressed that the Philippines has the right to object to China’s fishing ban in the South China Sea which was unilaterally reiterated once again on May 1, as it has been since 1995.
“Just as Vietnam has declared, said ban contravenes Philippine maritime claims, the UNCLOS and the extant 2003 ASEAN Code of Conduct,” the senator pointed out.
The Naval Special Operations Group or the Philippine Navy SEALs should also expand recruitment and ratchet up multiplier forces in fishing communities to help the Filipino fishermen defend themselves in the West Philippine Sea./PN
