page_title: Protests against Rodrigo Duterte
section_title: China
hierarchical_section_title: Protests against Rodrigo Duterte / Protests against overseas ties with Duterte / China
caption_attribution_description: English: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and People's Republic of China President Xi Jinping exchange tokens on the sidelines of the dinner hosted by the Chinese President at the Boao State Guesthouse on April 10, 2018. Also in the photo are Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go. The portrait presented by President Duterte is painted by artist Maestro Ronilo Abayan and authenticated by Jobe Nkemakolam. ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
context_page_description: The protests against Rodrigo Duterte, the 16th President of the Philippines, began on November 18, 2016, following the burial of late president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos, whom Duterte supported. These series of protests are mostly conducted by left-wing groups and other opponent figures mainly due to ongoing war on drugs, declaration of martial law in Mindanao and employment issues such as contractual term being applied by the company and the inflation due to Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act. Other causes such as the government's response to the COVID-19 in the country, the passage of Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and the shutting down and the subsequent denial of franchise for ABS-CBN by the House of Representatives.
context_section_description: Most militant groups decried the ties between President Duterte and China over the occupation of Chinese vessels and the reported harassment of the fishermen amidst the territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
  On July 12, 2018, tarpaulin banners read "WELCOME TO THE PHILIPPINES, PROVINCE OF CHINA" (with a Chinese translation below the text) were installed on several footbridges in Metro Manila, coinciding the two-year anniversary of winning the Philippines on its arbitration case against China. It is possible that the tarpaulins were the reference to a "joke" made by Duterte that "the country can be a province of the Asian giant," five months earlier. Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua slammed the banners, calling it a "vicious attack" on the "independent foreign policy" pursued by Duterte. Zhao also said that the Philippines "can never be any part of China." The Philippine National Police were investigating the person behind this installed tarpaulin, but the person were never known. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the banners were "absurd" and the "enemies" of the government. Opposition lawmakers Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate and Alliance of Concerned Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio denied that leftist groups were behind of the tarpaulins.
  The state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 19–21, 2018, triggered the protest by the militant groups, who called him to "go away" in Mandarin. The reason why they held a protest was because the Philippines "sold" the territories to China.
  The incident at the Reed Bank occurred on June 9, 2019 when a Chinese vessel rammed the Philippine fishing boat, F/B Gem-Ver, which carried 22 fishermen, resulted the latter to sank. All of the fishermen were rescued by the Philippine Navy. Several days after incident, Duterte was kept silent about the incident until June 17 when he eventually made a statement, saying that the incident was just the "maritime incident." Because of this, it generated public controversy and several militant groups including the fishermen's relatives have desired to impeach Duterte for allowing "China to fish in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea."
caption: Duterte and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping on July 2018.
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