ASEAN lawmakers last week urged the Philippine government to safeguard fisherfolk and resist foreign militarization in its territorial waters amid growing regional tensions.
In a statement released on June 12, the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) expressed solidarity with Filipino fishing communities and human rights defenders who are “enduring converging threats of foreign military competition and aggression.”
“Philippine shores and seas are not playgrounds for contesting foreign power struggles. It is the lifeline of Filipinos who depend on them for food, livelihood, and identity,” said APHR Chairperson Mercy Chriesty Barends, a member of the Indonesian House of Representatives.
APHR condemned a series of reported Chinese incursions, including a May 21 incident where the Chinese Coast Guard allegedly used high-pressure water cannons and sideswiped two Philippine fishing boats conducting marine research near Sandy (Pag-asa) Cay.
The group said the incident occurred “within the territorial sea of the Philippines” and damaged equipment while endangering crew members.
The group also noted the June 7 grounding of a suspected Chinese maritime militia vessel near Pag-asa Cay during rough seas. The cay is home to local fishing communities and Philippine military detachments.
“Fisherfolk must be free to conduct their livelihood without fear of violence,” said Maria Angelina Sarmento, APHR board member and a member of parliament in Timor-Leste. “Any use of force or intimidation against unarmed civilians is unacceptable under international law.”
APHR also criticized the 2025 Balikatan joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States, saying the drills have intensified the militarization of fishing grounds and coastal villages under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
Describing the exercises as a “launching pad of sweeping military expansion,” APHR said the war games brought in over 14,000 troops from the Philippines, the US, Australia, and Japan, along with observers from 20 countries. The drills simulated land, naval, air, and space operations.
“The militarization of Philippine seas and islands transforms communities into collateral spaces,” said Rangsiman Rome, APHR board member and Thai lawmaker. “It is concerning that these measures, while framed as strengthening a bilateral relationship, exposes an entrenched pattern of the Philippines as a sprawling US military outpost.”
Citing data from national fisherfolk group PAMALAKAYA, APHR reported that “No Sail Zones” enforced by the Philippine Coast Guard during the drills disrupted access to traditional fishing grounds and affected more than 21,000 fishers in Cagayan and Zambales.
Under EDCA, nine US access sites have been established across Luzon and Palawan. Since 2014, over USD 210 million has been spent on base development. In April, the US State Department approved a USD 5.58 billion weapons package for the Philippines.
“As ASEAN legislators united under APHR, we demand a people-centered sovereignty—one that defends maritime livelihoods, guarantees the civic and democratic rights of defenders and prioritizes coastal development, livelihood support and resilience programs for fishing villages over trivial military spending,” said Charles Santiago, APHR co-chairperson and former Malaysian parliamentarian.
“We urge the suspension of all future Balikatan Exercises and a comprehensive review of EDCA to end US military intervention,” Santiago added.
APHR called on the Philippine government to uphold its constitutional and international obligations by protecting national sovereignty and ensuring the rights to livelihood, safety, and self-determination of coastal communities.
