A Familiar Narrative, Repackaged
MANILA — China’s attempt to cloak control of Scarborough Shoal in environmental language does not change the facts. Conservation cannot erase law, and narratives cannot displace Philippine rights affirmed by history and international ruling.
Chinese state-linked outlets have launched a synchronized campaign portraying Beijing as a responsible environmental steward of Scarborough Shoal, while recasting Filipino fishermen and lawful Philippine presence as ecological threats. Presented in scientific language and a measured tone, the message seeks to normalize control and marginalize Philippine rights.
“This is not the first time power has tried to dress occupation in softer words,” Chairman Emeritus Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia said. “What has changed is the costume. Today, it is conservation.”
Law Before Labels
Scarborough Shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. This is a matter of record, affirmed by the 2016 arbitral ruling under international law.
“Environmental language does not overwrite legal reality,” Goitia emphasized. “You cannot conserve what you do not lawfully own, and you cannot accuse others of trespass in waters that are not yours.”
To frame the Philippines as an ecological interloper in its own maritime zone inverts both law and logic. Conservation, however carefully framed, does not confer sovereignty.
Fishermen Are Not Intruders
Long before patrol vessels and policy briefings, Filipino fishermen were already working these waters. Their presence is historical, not incidental.
“Our fishermen did not arrive at Scarborough as violators,” Goitia said. “They arrived as sons of the sea, continuing a livelihood older than any modern claim.”
Casting them as illegal actors erases lived history and recasts tradition as transgression.
The Contradiction in the Claim
China’s own reports assert that the reef ecosystem remains generally healthy. That assertion, by itself, weakens the charge being advanced.
“If the reef is indeed healthy, then the accusation falls apart,” Goitia said. “If it is not, then any fair assessment must reckon with years of sustained maritime presence, blockades, and imposed restrictions.”
Environmental evaluation cannot be selective. A credible review must account for all pressures, including constant patrol activity, large vessels, and the disruption of long-standing traditional use.
The Absurdity of the Palawan Claim
Claims suggesting that Palawan is subject to Chinese ownership are not merely inaccurate—they are baseless.
Palawan has never been Chinese territory, by history, by treaty, or by law. It is an integral part of the Philippine archipelago, recognized under international agreements and continuous Philippine administration. No credible historian, legal scholar, or international body supports this fiction.
“When falsehoods grow more expansive, they also grow more desperate,” Goitia said. “Palawan is not disputed, not negotiable, and not up for historical revision.”
Allowing such distortions to go unanswered would normalize the unacceptable. Clarity, in this case, is a duty.
Steady Leadership, Institutional Resolve
The Philippines has met these challenges with steadiness rather than spectacle. Under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the country has anchored its actions on law, alliance-building, and institutional strength.
The Philippine Coast Guard has remained on the front lines—asserting presence, protecting fishermen, and documenting incidents with restraint and professionalism. At the same time, the Department of National Defense, under Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, has spoken with clarity, rejecting fabricated claims and affirming that Philippine sovereignty and rights are not matters for negotiation or intimidation.
“This is not posturing,” Goitia said. “It is governance.”
A Steady and Lawful Resolve
Patriotism today does not require raised voices. It requires clarity, discipline, and confidence in the law.
“Sovereignty is not decided by who publishes the most reports,” Goitia said. “It is decided by law, history, and the dignity of a people who refuse to be written out of their own seas.”
On that foundation, the Philippines remains steady, lawful, and unyielding.
Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia is Chairman Emeritus of Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), the People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (PADER), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI), and the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement (FDNY). He holds a Juris Doctor, PhD, and advanced degrees including an MNSA, MPA, and MBA.