THE anger and frustration among Filipinos over Chinas blatant military incursions in Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea have been flooding the pages of Facebook for more than a month.
The latest sentiment analysis of BluePrint.PH from 11 March to 11 April 2021 showed increased negative emotions of Filipinos over the issue of territorial disputes on West Philippine Sea.
The Facebook post of media firm ABS-CBN on April 9, 2021: TINGNAN: Namataan ang ilang daang fishing vessel sa Julian Felipe Reef sa West Philippine Sea [LOOK: Hundreds of fishing vessels were spotted at Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea], had the highest engagement with 30,715 reactions, of which 55 percent are angry.
The post coincided with the Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) celebration on April 9.
Another ABS-CBN post on the same day: Obligado ang United States na tumulong sa Pilipinas sakaling atakihin ang mga barko at aircraft ng bansa sa West Philippine Sea, ayon sa US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. Ito ang babala ni US State Department spokesman Ned Price kaugnay ng tila pagiging mas agresibo ng China sa pinag-aagawang teritoryo [The US is obliged to help the Philippines if any of its ships or aircraft are attacked in the West Philippine Sea, under the MDT. This was stated by US State Department spokesman Ned Price in connection with Chinas aggressive moves in disputed territory], earned the second highest engagement score of 14, 245, with 69 percent likes.
BluePrint.PH sentiment analysis also showed strong frustrations over what was perceived as government inaction on Chinas violations of the Philippiness rights to its exclusive economic zone, based on comments in the top two posts.
The comment, Nakakahiya. Ibang bansa pa nagtatanggol sa atin kaysa sa mga lider ng Pilipinas [Its a shame, that it takes other nations to defend our rights (over West Philippine Sea) instead of our leaders] has the most number of likes at 727.
Another comment: Now, the Commemoration of the Day of Valor, while Duterte flexes his strength for those who are weak, but for those as BIG and ferocious as China, he is a Kitten. Ironic!. Lesson learned, Presidency should have the highest standards, earned the second highest number of likes at 703.
Malacañangs no comment reaction over Chinese vessels that chased the ABS-CBN crew earned the fourth highest engagement score with 46 percent haha and 36 percent angry.
BluePrint.PH, a research and campaigns firm using big data analytics, scanned the keyword West Philippine Sea within the Philippines, during a 31-day period, from 11 March to 11 April 2021this gathered an engagement score of 426,854 from the total 3,170 posts.
Eero Brillantes, Chief Executive Officer of BluePrint.PH, said Filipinos may not be vocal about foreign policy issues, but the blatant and routine military incursions of China in the West Philippine Sea continue to gain interest among social media users.
Sentiment analysis of Filipinos regarding the West Philippine Sea issue should serve as guidance to foreign policy leaders to act relentlessly to put an end to Chinas military interference in the disputed islands, said Brillantes.
Filipinos also admired the courage of the ABS-CBN news team, led by reporter Chiara Zambrano, to join the maritime patrol in the West Philippine Sea in spite of the dangers.
TV Patrols post on March 30, Nakasama ang ABS-CBN News sa isinagawang aerial maritime patrol sa West Philippine Sea, kung saan nakumpirma ang presensya ng pinaghihinalaang Chinese militia vessels [The ABS-CBN News crew joined a maritime patrol in the West Philippine Sea, where the presence of suspected Chinese militia vessels was confirmed] ranked third with highest engagement, with 11,343 engagement score, 45 likes, 17 percent sad and 34 percent angry.
The sentiment analysis also reflected strong interest of Filipinos over the West Philippine Sea issue, as they rely on mainstream media to get information.
ABS-CBN Television channel topped the 50 list of influencers on the West Philippine Sea issue, with its 83 Facebook posts gaining 114,345 engagement score, or 31 percent of the total engagement score in a span of 31 days.
Inquirer.net is the second top influencer on West Philippine Sea issues with 95 posts, gaining 32,568 engagement score; followed by GMA News, 76 posts, gaining 27, 162 engagement score; and Rappler with 50 posts, and 18,000 engagement score. Senator Risa Hontiveros is among the top 20 influencers on the West Philippine Sea, as her four Facebook posts gathered 6,364 engagement score.
In 12 July 2016, the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China had violated the Philippiness sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration, by constructing artificial islands and failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the zone.
The tribunal maintained that Chinas claims of historic rights to resources in the South China Sea under the so-called Nine-Dash Line were incompatible with and extinguished by the exclusive economic zones provided for in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), which the Philippines had invoked in filing the case before the UN body.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Philippines and three other Southeast Asian countriesBrunei, Malaysia and Vietnamand Taiwan.
Private business groups led by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce (PCCI), meanwhile, expressed support for Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and many groups in calling China to withdraw their vessels from Julian Felipe Reef.
Our exclusive right over the Julian Felipe Reef carries with it the utilization of, and the obligation to protect, its economic benefits, such as its rich marine life and mineral deposits, for the well-being of each and every Filipino, the business groups said in a statement on 14 April 2021.
The Philippines on Wednesday filed three consecutive diplomatic protests within a week amid the continuing presence of Chinese military vessels in the West Philippine Sea.
The démarche came a few days after Philippine authorities celebrated the vessels alleged departure in the countrys exclusive economic zone (EEZ), only to find that the blue-hulled vessels had simply scattered among Philippine-claimed features.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) later clarified it actually sent two diplomatic protests on Wednesday to the Chinese Embassy in Manila against the Chinese vessels continuing presence in the West Philippine Sea.
One counts as the daily protest the DFA said it would do as long as there are ships at Julian Felipe Reef. The second protest is on the dispersal/displacement of Chinese ships to other parts of the Philippine maritime zone, the DFA explained.
Image credits: AP/Bullit Marquez
