Duterte’s soft shouting at the Chinese Communist Party is severely criticized by fishermen’s organizations and opposition parties

The Chinese Communist Party’s recent buildup of ships in disputed waters has sparked an outcry from the Philippines.

The dispute between the Chinese Communist Party and the Philippines in the South China Sea has been going on for more than a month, and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made a weak speech on Wednesday night, whose stance was immediately opposed by the Filipino Fishermen’s Movement Force group, while the country’s former chief justice said he would lead an opposition camp to challenge Duterte in next year’s election.

The Philippines’ dispute with the Chinese Communist Party in the South China Sea began to heat up after Manila authorities lodged five diplomatic protests against the Chinese Communist Party over the gathering of 220 maritime militia boats on Whitsun Reef in late March, and the Philippine government demanded that the Chinese Communist Party immediately withdraw the boats from the Philippines’ exclusive economic waters, but the Chinese Communist Party dispersed the boats but did not withdraw them.

The Philippines will hold a presidential election next May, and the South China Sea controversy has once again become a hot political topic in the Philippines. The Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) recently conducted exercises in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), once again confronting the Chinese Communist Party over the issue.

We don’t want to go to war with the Chinese Communist Party,” Duterte said in a televised address on Wednesday night, 28. China is like our good friend, we should be very grateful to China, including the vaccines donated by China, but there are some things that really can’t be conceded, I hope they can understand, I also have my national interests to protect.”

Duterte’s stance was opposed by the Filipino Fishermen’s Movement Force organization, which criticized the Philippine government for using Philippine sovereignty as a bargaining chip in exchange for the Chinese communist vaccine, Central News Agency reported on 29 June.

Fernando Hicap, national president of the group, said, “We don’t owe the CCP anything, it is they who owe us trillions of Philippine dollars for the massive destruction of coral and marine resources in the West Philippine Sea. Duterte is trading our territorial sovereignty for vaccines, loans and investments from the CCP, making himself a puppet of the CCP.”

For his part, former Philippine Justice Antonio Carpio said the Philippines should have a president who prioritizes Philippine interests and who will uncompromisingly defend Philippine sovereignty and rights in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippine anti-government camp he leads will field a presidential and vice presidential candidate to run in next year’s election.

The Philippines claims sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea, the western part of the Philippine Sea east of the Philippines, which is the Philippine name for the part of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone.