‘Good gesture’: Pinoy fishers rescued by Chinese in PH waters
MANILA, Philippines— Two Filipino fishermen who went missing in Palawan province last month were rescued by Chinese fishermen in the West Philippine Sea, the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines said on Wednesday.
The rescue took place on Feb. 4, two days before a Chinese coast guard ship struck a Philippine Coast Guard vessel in the West Philippine Sea with a military-grade laser that temporarily blinded some of its crew members.
Jerome and Jaybogs Fortu of Occidental Mindoro province went out fishing on Jan. 23 but their boat ran out of fuel and rough sea conditions sent them adrift toward the West Philippine Sea, Wescom spokesperson Cmdr. Ariel Joseph Coloma said in a statement.
“The two fishermen remained stranded at sea until they were rescued on Feb. 4 by nearby Chinese fishermen who turned them over to a Filipino fishing vessel in the area,” Coloma said.
Nonstop patrols
The Filipino fishermen were found in Dalag Bank, located 241 kilometers (130 nautical miles) from El Nido, Palawan, within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Asked what the Chinese fishermen were doing inside the EEZ, Coloma said: “While they showed a good gesture in saving our fishermen, we do not allow any foreigners to fish inside our territory. That’s why we conduct nonstop patrols day and night in the West Philippine Sea, even if our territory is too vast.”
Due to lack of funds, the Philippine military maintains a limited number of vessels to patrol the entire archipelago.
By the time the Navy patrol vessel BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PS-15) arrived to pick up the rescued fishermen from another Filipino fishing vessel, the Chinese fishermen had left the area, Coloma said.
The Navy crew gave the rescued fishermen immediate medical care before bringing them to Camp Ricarte Station Hospital in Puerto Princesa City for further checkup. They were declared in stable condition the next day.
Embassy notes ‘compassion’
A Philippine Navy aircraft later flew the two fishermen back to their hometown in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro. “It was a very emotional reunion for the Fortu family,” Coloma said.
“Deeply touched by the humanitarian and bayanihan spirit of the Chinese fishermen toward their Filipino brothers,” the Chinese Embassy in Manila said in a statement on Sunday. “Let’s continue to embody our friendship and exemplify compassion at sea.”
Two days after the rescue, on Feb. 6, a China Coast Guard vessel aimed a high-grade laser twice at the PCG’s BRP Malapascua (MRRV-4403), where the latter had been supporting a Philippine Navy resupply mission to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, a submerged reef occupied by Filipino troops through the grounded ship BRP Sierra Madre.
The laser-pointing incident caused temporary blindness among the crew manning the bridge, lasting for about 10 to 15 seconds. The Chinese vessel also sailed dangerously close to the Malapascua, at about 150 yards, as radio challenges were exchanged.
Coloma said the AFP continued to conduct patrols in the West Philippine Sea despite what happened. “There were no [further] reports of any unusual incident concerning our ships in the area. Despite the incident, our Philippine Navy vessels are still carrying out our maritime and sovereignty patrols round-the-clock as part of the AFP’s mandate.”
