Labor leader condemns Chinese incursions in West PHL Sea

By Dolly Yasa

 

BACOLOD City – The General Alliance of Workers Association condemned Chinese incursions in Philippine territorial waters.

GAWA Secretary-General Wennie Sancho said Monday that the “audacious intrusion of Chinese fleet into our exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea is an assault on our democratic and republican principles of governance.”

“What is truly serious is the political weakness of a government that does not react to the incredible succession of events in the West Philippine Sea, as it   wavers between passive indignation and mere indifference,” he added.

Sancho cited that the State is mandated to protect the nation’s marine wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorial sea and exclusive economic zone as provided for in the 1987 Phil. Constitution.

“We look up to the government for the protection of our nation’s patrimony, but it was missing.”

He said that these terrible events resulted in “a broad loss of confidence in the national leadership, a sense of discontent and a serious reason for concern about the future course of our sovereignty as a people and as a nation.”

“Most of the people have been incapacitated, quite literally, because they do not speak up

to the Philippine government. Our national waters are being occupied by a flotilla of Chinese ships like an army set in a battle array? This alarming situation brought the questions that had been long forgotten.”

He also asked “Where was courage and determination? And having started to ask, then the other questions came, and truth, justice and even democracy?”

“We are alarmed by the presence of Chinese ships like an armada.”

He said that the Philippine government has filed a series of diplomatic protests but the Chinese ships does not move away, “they’re  here to stay despite the fact that they are excluded from exercising dominion or jurisdiction without the consent and his determination.”

But why is that there seem to be a deafening silence all over the land when the Chinese intruders “trampled our sacred shores?” Sancho asked.

“Has the Filipino become a coward who readily yield our territory and patrimony to the Chinese horde? An exodus of Chinese workers had stolen our right to work and our jobs. They had stolen our territories.”