MANILA, Philippines — A progressive fisherfolk group on Tuesday questioned the absence of Philippine troops at Scarborough Shoal where some fishermen were reportedly harassed by members of the China Coast Guard (CCG) on January 12.
Fishers group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) condemned CCG’s harassment of Filipinos in the contested waters but pointed out that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) should have been patrolling the area in the first place.
“Karapat-dapat lamang kundenahin ang panibagong agresibong aksyon ng China laban sa ating mga mangingisda. Walang batayan ang nasabing bansa na pigilan ang mga Pilipino na makapangisda sa ating tradisyunal na pangisdaan,” it said in a statement.
(It is only justified to condemn China’s latest aggressive action against our fishermen. The said country has no basis to ban Filipinos from fishing in our traditional waters.)
READ: NSC condemns latest harassment of PH vessels in WPS
“But the absence of any presence from the Philippine Coast Guard or other marine troops at the scene when the incident happened is questionable,” the group added in Filipino.
Pamalakaya noted that the incident may have been prevented if government forces were visible and patrolling the area.
In a press conference on Monday, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela admitted that there were no PCG nor Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) troops in the area when the incident occurred.
READ: PCG to Filipino fishers: Don’t be discouraged by China’s harassment
Despite this, Tarriela called on Filipinos to continue fishing at Scarborough Shoal as the PCG and BFAR conduct talks to ensure their presence in the area even at “lull times.”
On January 21, a video circulated online that showed several Filipino fisherfolks being driven away by five CCG members while collecting seashells north of Scarborough Shoal.
According to the PCG, the video was from a fisherman, Jack Tabat, who was onboard a fishing vessel and witnessed the reported harassment.
A 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling said that Scarborough Shoal is a traditional fishing ground that should be shared with neighboring countries including China and Vietnam.