Rep. de Lima urges PH Navy deployment to West Philippine Sea amid Chinese harassment

Representative Leila de Lima has called for the deployment of the Philippine Navy to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to counter the harassment of Filipino fishermen and vessels by Chinese ships.

De Lima specifically proposed using the Navy, in addition to the Philippine Coast Guard, to defend Filipino civilians within the country's exclusive economic zone and expel Chinese vessels.

She condemned the recent actions by the China Coast Guard, including the use of water cannons against Filipino fishing boats and dangerous maneuvers against PCG vessels, which resulted in injuries to three fishermen.

De Lima emphasized that these actions represent a serious violation of fishermen's rights and require urgent government action to prevent future incidents.

She noted that currently, both China and the Philippines are supposed to limit their patrols in the waters off Palawan to their respective coast guards to avoid escalation and potential conflict.

The representative also praised the Philippine Coast Guard and Filipino fishermen for their efforts in rescuing and providing medical assistance to those injured during the recent harassment.