The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) strongly condemns the recent aggressive actions by China in the South China Sea, including the use of water cannons on Philippine vessels and the ongoing construction of artificial islands.
Ma. Victoria Bellosillo, President of the FFW Women Network, stated, “These provocations are not only concerns of those in the AFP and the government but also of all Filipinos, they are actually attacks on us all and undermine regional stability and violate international law, including the 2016 arbitral award which China continues to disregard.”
FFW agrees with former SC Justice Antonio Carpio that the impact of these actions is starkly evident at Subi Reef, now an extensive military base. This not only escalates tensions but also infringes upon the territorial rights of the Philippines, notably reducing Pagasa Island’s territorial sea by approximately one-third.
“We submit China’s initiatives to create man-made islands to negate the 2016 Arbitral Award are an exercise in futility,” opined Elisa Subayno Roa, Law Student and Union President of the Philippine Sinter Corporation Employees Union-FFW in Cagayan de Oro. “We emphasize that according to international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), artificial islands do not warrant a territorial sea.”
“The recent citing of four China’s coast guard intruding Southern Mindanao is also concerning,”Roa added.
“We view China’s strategy of using dead coral rubble to simulate natural formation on Cays 1, 2, and 3 as deceptive and illegal,” furthered Bellosillo. FFW joins the call for the Philippine government to meticulously document these violations to assert that these structures are man-made and thus not entitled to territorial sea status.
Echoing Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., FFW agrees that China’s maneuvers in the region are “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive.” Gen. Brawner recently used the acronym “ICAD” to describe these actions during a significant military event attended by international allies and top brass.
Furthermore, FFW Governing Member Rondolf Mabazza calls on Chinese leader Xi Jinping “to respect the 2016 Arbitral Award and resist the militaristic influences from PLA advisers exacerbating tensions in the West Philippine Sea. It is crucial for leadership in Beijing to pursue a path of peace and adherence to international law, rather than expansionism and aggression.”
Mabazza, who is also the union president of the National College of Business Administration Employees Union-FFW urges President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marco Jr. and his administration to adopt a new, more assertive stance against these infringements. It is essential for the Philippines to expose and contest China’s unlawful territorial expansions and artificial island constructions.
Additionally, FFW advises the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to escalate the matter to the United Nations General Assembly. Bringing global attention to these issues could pressure China to adhere to the 2016 arbitral ruling and respect international maritime laws.
“We have to learn from the case of Nicaragua vs. United States. After winning the case before the International Court of Justice and facing the U.S. refusal to comply, Nicaragua successfully brought their case before the UN General Assembly and subsequently achieved substantial compliance,” advised Bellosillo, who is also the union president of the Central Philippine University Rank-and-File Employees Union-FFW based in Iloilo City. Atty. Sonny Matula, FFW President