Atin Ito, a coalition of progressive groups and nongovernment organizations, has called on the youth to be actively involved in its information campaign to assert Filipinos’ fishing rights in the face of China’s repeated incursions in the West Philippine Sea.

Members of the coalition also said that the continuing tension in the contested waters should be an election issue, and that candidates in the May midterm polls should be measured according to their position on it.    

“Remember what happened to the fishermen whose boat was rammed by Chinese authorities. They went to file a case, but they were intimidated by our own government to drop the case despite having the international community backing us,” said Justine Balane, national chair of Akbayan Youth and nominee of the party-list Akbayan.

He said the problem in the West Philippine Sea was exacerbated when Rodrigo Duterte became president in 2016 and in effect abandoned Filipino fishers by not asserting the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone, which were upheld in that same year by the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague. 

According to Atin Ito, the building of artificial islands and destruction of coral reefs in Philippine-claimed waters are only a few of the activities that China has undertaken since then presidential candidate Duterte vowed to plant the Philippine flag in Scarborough Shoal while campaigning in 2016.

To ‘civilianize’ the matter

Balane spoke to students of Miriam College in Quezon City at the start of Atin Ito’s campus caravan last April 10 to “civilianize” the matter concerning the West Philippine Sea through a series of information forums and similar activities.

Edicio dela Torre, Atin Ito co-convenor, and Kiko Aquino Dee, executive director of the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation, also spoke during the forum organized by the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines in partnership with the Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral ng Miriam.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who delivered a video message, said the Philippines is losing around P30 billion every year in aquaculture livelihood. “There are reports that Chinese authorities poison the coral reefs,” she said, adding:

“We have a significant role as citizens in protecting our rights in the West Philippine Sea. Hopefully, this will also be accompanied by actions from the government. As China continues to abuse our waters, our country must immediately file diplomatic protests.”

The senator urged the Philippine government to file a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly to raise the cases of abuse on Filipino fishers by Chinese coast guards and hold them accountable, and to call on China to “stop its blatant violence against our country.” 

Balane said that if the government remains submissive to China’s display of aggression, “what will stop them from encroaching further in our own islands and territories?”

Dela Torre emphasized that the objective of the Atin Ito campaign is to “civilianize” the issue instead of upholding militaristic measures. 

Balane said “the civilian voice is essential in protecting the West Philippine Sea.” 

Dee said more concentrated efforts were needed to bring the issue to the Filipino public. “Realistically, individual efforts are needed to encourage people to participate in civic engagements,” he said. 

‘People Power at Sea’

The forum also featured two 15-minute documentaries by photographer and filmmaker Nana Buxani, which gave students a glimpse into Atin Ito’s first two civilian missions to highlight the power of collective action.

The coalition launched its first and second civilian missions in December 2023 and May 2024. A third mission—a peace and solidarity concert—is scheduled in May.

Buxani’s “A Story of Courage” presented in real time how, during the first Atin Ito mission in the West Philippine Sea, China sent enormous ships in an apparent effort at intimidation.  Undeterred, civilian volunteers managed to distribute Christmas gifts to at least 87 families and over 100 fishers in nearby communities. 

According to Balane, the Chinese “were so scared of Filipinos carrying nothing but Christmas gifts that they sent out monster ships.” 

The other film, “People Power at Sea,” showed Atin Ito volunteers and Christian missionaries boarding a small boat to peacefully protest before large Chinese vessels. It revisited the spirit of Filipino protesters during the 1986 Edsa Revolution, connoting that the present-day display of Filipinos being unarmed is not a gesture of powerlessness but a way of showing that diplomatic protest is a more viable remedy to deescalate tensions in the contested waters.

A photo exhibit showcased grassroots efforts in defending Philippine waters. A donation drive was initiated in support of fishing communities affected by the ongoing conflict. 

Also raised at the forum was the crucial need for information drives on what is going on in the West Philippine Sea. 

“Our government needs to strengthen its campaign to counter disinformation and influence operations propagated by China,” Hontiveros said. 

The senator said online posts about the West Philippine Sea should first be fact-checked. “Even simple gestures like advising our friends and family not to share deceptive posts are helpful to our country,” she said. 

Balane raised another grave concern circulating in Chinese platforms: that the province of Palawan, which they called Zheng He island, is a part of China. 

Election issue 

Both Balane and Dee urged Miriam students to vote for candidates in the May midterm elections who would defend and protect the West Philippine Sea. Balane noted that the youth make up a large majority of Filipino registered voters.

“The time is right to make the West Philippine Sea an election issue,” Dee said. “We can do our best to put the West Philippine Sea at the center of the campaign by sending a strong message to politicians: if they waver in their commitment to defend our territorial rights, we will not vote for them. And we should do our best to ensure that those we elect are the ones who consistently fight for our national interests.”

Raymond Aldo M. Mina, a fourth-year journalism student of Bicol University College of Arts and Letters, is an intern at CoverStory.ph.

Read more: Atin Ito coalition announces ‘jamming’ for peace and solidarity in West Philippine Sea