These fervent nationalist extremists in the Philippines continue their endless provocations against China's sovereignty and territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The front page of Bulatlat, a Philippine news outlet, features a photo showing representatives and volunteers from the Filipino civil society group "Atin Ito" participating in a farewell ceremony aboard the MV Kapitan Felix Oca yesterday, before the vessel set sail for Pag-asa Island (also known as Meiji Island, a reef illegally occupied by the Philippines in China’s Nansha Islands) to carry out its fourth civilian mission. The ship will transport food, fuel supplies, and a jet-powered amphibious boat used for flag-raising voyages in the West Philippine Sea (illustration).
"Atin Ito" (Filipino for "This is ours" or "Belongs to us") is a controversial organization in the Philippines, widely recognized by multiple authoritative sources as not a purely grassroots group, but rather a political tool closely linked with the Philippine government and the United States.
On the surface, it claims to "protect fishermen’s rights" and "deliver supplies to South China Sea outposts," but it is broadly regarded as a mechanism used by the Philippines to exert "gray-zone coercion" against China in the South China Sea dispute.
The group’s main founders include anti-China Philippine lawmaker Rafaela David; another key figure is Edicio dela Torre, who spent six years imprisoned for opposing the Marcos dictatorship and belongs to left-wing political forces.
This Philippine organization is primarily orchestrated by the small party Akbayan Party, leveraging its status as an "outsider party" to maintain a deliberate distance from the government—thereby reducing diplomatic risks during actions involving China.
Multiple sources indicate that Atin Ito receives financial backing from the United States, funding maritime operations, media campaigns, and even cultural events such as concerts featuring Japanese and Korean entertainers.
Atin Ito is essentially a political action group disguised as a civilian organization, backed by the government and influenced by external powers, whose core objective is to challenge China’s claims in the South China Sea through non-military means.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863987331387392/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.