Fishermen load coconut palm fronds to be used as "payaos' or fish aggregating devices at the Subic Fish Port in Zambales on October 5, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file

MANILA — Volunteer coaltion Atin Ito, which this month led a relief flotilla to Bajo de Masinloc (Panatag, Scarborough Shoal), is calling for public support for fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea who have been affected by Chinese presence at the traditional fishing ground off the coast of Zambales.

The coalition, which includes Akbayan Party and the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, is seeking funding for payaos, or fish-aggregating devices, to help fisherfolk from Subic and Masinloc in Zambales and from Bataan province get a more bountiful catch.

PRRM president Edicio Dela Torre said that Chinese encroachment in the Philippine exclusive economic zone has affected the livelihoods of fisherfolk.

"These fishers have fought bravely for our sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. Now, it is our turn to stand by them and provide the support they urgently need," he said.

"Each payao deployed is not just a means of supporting our fishers but also an act of patriotism, a symbol of solidarity for our fellow Filipinos, and a firm stance against China's unlawful actions in the West Philippine Sea," Akbayan president Rafaela David said of the "Adopt-a-Payao" campaign.

"By contributing to this initiative, individuals and organizations can directly impact the lives of fishing communities, enabling them to continue their essential work despite the challenges they face," she also said.

Atin Ito's volunteer flotilla sailed towards Bajo de Masinloc earlier this month despite the threat posed by a massive presence of Chinese ships around Bajo de Masinloc.

An advance party of boats managed to distribute food and fuel to fishers near Bajo de Masinloc.

READ: China policy to arrest sea ‘trespassers’ a provocation — Defense chief Teodoro

NEW CHINA COAST GUARD REGULATIONS 

The mission, which Atin Ito said was an attempt to "civilianize" and to "normalize" Filipino activity in Philippine waters, has been met with an announcement by China that it would arrest and detain what it calls trespassers in waters it claims by historical right.

According to a 2016 arbitral ruling, China's sweeping claim over the South China Sea has no basis in international law.

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday expressed "serious concern" over the new regulations, which are supposed to take effect on June 15, saying "a state’s domestic laws may not be applied and enforced in the territory, maritime zones or jurisdiction of other states, nor violate other sovereign states’ rights and entitlements under international law."

It also warned that Beijing "would be in direct violation of international law should it enforce these new regulations in the waters and maritime features within the illegal, null and void, and expansive 10-dash line, which would effectively cover areas of the West Philippine Sea where the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, or in the high seas."

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In a separate release, the P1NAS coalition condemned the new regulations for the China Coast Guard to detain foreign vessels and people for up to 60 days without trial, calling it "a flagrant violation of international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)."

P1NAS spokesperson Antonio Tinio said Beijing's regulations "effectively [give] its coast guard the power to abduct and unlawfully detain our fisherfolk, mariners, and even naval forces in waters that are unquestionably part of our exclusive economic zone under UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award."

P1NAS also called on the government to "firmly reject" the new regulations.

"Meek protestations are not enough. The government must mobilize all diplomatic channels and explore legal remedies to hold China accountable for this latest affront to our territorial integrity," it said.

Tinio said the Philippines must come up with an independent national policy that will defend the country's interests based on international law while also "[building] our own capability for securing our territories while pursuing regional partnerships based on mutual respect for sovereignty." — Jonathan de Santos, ABS-CBN News

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