Eight business organizations have expressed support for calls made to China to pull out its vessels from Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea. In a joint statement yesterday, business groups Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Management Association of the Philippines, Makati Business Club, Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference for Human Development, Filipina CEO Circle, Judicial Reform Initiative, Cebu Business Club and Iloilo Business Club Inc. said they are backing the calls made by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and other government officials for China to withdraw overstaying vessels from Julian Felipe Reef. The Philippines has filed new diplomatic protests against China after the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) found some 240 Chinese ships in various parts of the country’s maritime zones despite repeated demands for them to withdraw from the area.

Desiderio, L., Lee-Brago, P., Cabrera, R., Romero, A., Romero, P., Porcalla, D., & Felipe, C. S. (2021, April 15). Business groups to China: Remove ships from WPS. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 4.