MINALIN -- Reelectionist Senator Bam Aquino on Tuesday urged Malacañang to make a firm stand on the country’s position against the continuous discrimination of Filipino workers over Chinese.

During his sortie here on Tuesday, April 9, Aquino, referring to the Chinese Coast Guard’s alleged continuous harassment of Filipino fishermen at the Scarborough Shoal and the influx of Chinese construction workers in the country, said that the government must issue a statement against the actions taken by the Chinese government and its people in the country.

“The stand of the government on this issue is very important in this very situation. It must be brave and bold because it is about the welfare of Filipino people and their livelihood here,” said Aquino.

He cited reports about Chinese Coast Guard repeatedly shooing away Filipino fishermen in the Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) off the coast of Zambales despite the United Nations ruling declaring the disputed area as a common fishing ground for both parties.

Aquino was also alarmed over the reported massive employment of Chinese construction workers in the country, particularly in the government’s various infrastructure projects.

“At first, we were only talking about the fishermen but our construction workers are now also being deprived of livelihood opportunities because foreign workers are being prioritized over them,” Aquino said.

“What is more bothering is that the two jobs are two of the most common livelihood of Filipino people, and that thousands of families are depending on these as their main source of income,” he furthered.

Aquino said that the Malacañang must take action as soon as possible for the benefit of the Filipino workers and their families who are most affected of the said situations.