First of all, why is the China Coast Guard patrolling our own waters, the West Philippine China Sea, which by international law, the UNCLOS (United National Convention on the Law of the Sea) to which both China and the Philippines are signatories, is recognized as clearly part of the territory of our country? Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano's excuse (on behalf of whom?) that the brouhaha is nothing but a misunderstanding makes the situation we have gotten ourselves into even more pathetic. Here were our fishermen, among the poorest of our people, who provide food for us, helpless against intruders who behave as if they own our territory? Our fishermen were intimidated, let us not belittle what the China Coast Guard was, doing, into sharing their catch from our own waters in exchange for paltry tokens. They were fishing in undisputed waters on Panatag Shoal within our exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which are less that 150 miles from the shores of Zambales.

Abesamis, T. S.(2018, June 13). Harassed in our own waters. BusinessWorld, p. S1/6.