A group of Catholic bishops has made an impassioned appeal on the behalf of Philippine fishermen whose livelihoods are threatened by Chinese expansion in the South China Sea.
The pastoral exhortation, signed by prominent Archbishop Socrates Villegas and four other bishops from dioceses in the Catholic-majority country's Luzon and Palawan provinces, warned against a policy of appeasement toward the "Chinese aggressors" and gave their blessing to embracing the Philippines' "allies."
Beijing and Manila are locked in a territorial struggle over areas of the sea lying within the latter's internationally recognized exclusive economic zone. Philippine fishermen have found themselves swept up in the dispute, with the Chinese coast guard ejecting them repeatedly from waters around resource-rich Scarborough Shoal, traditionally fishing grounds for Filipinos, Chinese, and Vietnamese alike.
"It is no secret that the aggressive incursions of the Chinese into our maritime zones, resulting in the widespread destruction of coral reefs, marine sanctuaries and the habitat of fish and sea-dwelling animals have wrought havoc on the lives of our fisherfolk," read the letter, dated February 8.
The Southeast Asian country has also accused China's maritime militia of inflicting great damage upon coral ecosystems. The militia is a paramilitary fleet of "fishing boats" that frequently occupies waters near contested South China Sea features en masse for long periods.
"Now, they have to venture far into the open sea at tremendous risk to their safety to able to make a catch and then still face the threat of being bullied by Chinese fishing and naval vessels that, by their size and power, can easily outmaneuver and frighten our fishermen in their bangkas and lampitaws," the clergymen said, referring to small boats common among local anglers.
They cautioned that "appeasing the Chinese aggressors" is making matters worse for these fisherfolk, as well as emboldening China. They added, "all legal means must be exhausted" in the interest of holding on to "what nature has so bountifully bestowed on us."
If diplomacy fails, it is "permissible, morally necessary even, to have recourse to the friendship of allies who can help us defend what is ours," the authors said.
China claims the vast majority of the South China Sea, citing unspecified historical rights, which puts it at odds with the overlapping claims of the Philippines and several other countries.
The administration of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has taken a more hardline stance on the issue and recently pledged to step up patrols and upgrade military outposts in disputed waters.
Marcos has also taken significant steps to strengthen defense ties with Washington, including opening up new military sites to U.S. forces. President Joe Biden reiterated last year that the two countries' Mutal Defense Treaty is "ironclad" and extends to the South China Sea.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian ... Read more
