A GROUP of professors called on the government to stand up against China, saying that the presence of more than 200 vessels near the Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea is a threat to the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“We reject the argument that asserting our sovereignty, protecting our fisherfolk and managing and protecting our own natural resources constitute a declaration of war,” the Professors for Peace said in a statement.

“We cannot tolerate the outright theft of our natural resources and the harassment of our fishermen. We join the overwhelming majority of the Filipino people who have consistently called for a more decisive foreign policy and national security stance to protect our territory and our people, and to regain lost ground,” it added.

The professors called on China to uphold its commitment to the international rule of law as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

They also expressed support for Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana who demanded that China withdraw its ships from Philippine waters immediately.

As of April 19, 528 professors from different colleges and universities such as the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University, Miriam College, among others, signed the statement.