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Palace confirms Chinese ship drove away Pinoy fishermen from Panatag Shoal
By ANDREO CALONZO, GMA News
(Updated 6:26 p.m.) A Chinese vessel drove away Filipino fishermen from Panatag Shoal, the Philippine government confirmed Monday.
“The [Philippine Coast Guard] has verified and confirmed the reported incident involving fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc [or Panatag Shoal]. However, the actual number of fishermen has not been verified,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a short statement sent to the media on Monday afternoon.
Coloma added that the PCG had already come out with a report on the incident, which was forwarded to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of National Defense.
GMA News Online contacted acting PCG spokesman Commander William Arquero for more details on the incident, but he has yet to respond as of posting time.
Fishermen from Pangasinan who were involved in the incident earlier said the Chinese Coast Guard used a water cannon to drive them away from the shoal.
The Panatag Shoal, which is also called the Scarborough Shoal, was the site of a standoff between Philippine and Chinese vessels in 2012 when the Philippine Navy tried to apprehend Chinese vessels fishing in the Philippine-claimed shoal.
Even before Malacañang’s confirmation of the incident, Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang said authorities were exploring the possibility of providing PCG escorts for Filipino fishermen sailing on disputed waters in the South China Sea.
Recent satellite images also showed Chinese reclamation and construction activities in disputed territories.
Increased ‘maritime domain awareness’
Coloma, for his part, said the Philippine government was determined to increase the PCG and the Philippine Navy’s capabilities to deal with similar incidents.
“Sinisikap ng pamahalaan na mapahusay ang kapasidad ng Philippine Navy at Philippine Coast Guard hinggil sa maritime domain awareness upang agarang matunton ang mga kahalintulad na insidente at mabigyang proteksyon ang mga mangingisdang Pilipino kung kinakailangan,” the Palace official said.
He added that the administration would continue to equip the PCG and the Navy with modern equipment to patrol and protect the country’s coastline.
“Ito naman ay idini-deploy sa pinakamainam na paraan para magkaroon nga nitong tinatawag na maritime domain awareness, upang malaman iyong mga mahahalagang nagaganap sa sinasakop ng ating territorial waters,” he said.
Manila and Beijing are locked in a territorial dispute over resource-rich parts of the South China Sea.
The Philippines, which calls the disputed areas the “West Philippine Sea," has sought international arbitration before a Netherlands-based tribunal to nullify China’s massive claims.
China uses the so-called “nine-dash line” to claim ownership of almost the entire South China Sea, while the Philippines uses the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as basis for its claim.
Beijing earlier rejected international arbitration proceedings to settle its territorial dispute with the Philippines, insisting instead on bilateral talks to settle the matter.
China also has overlapping claims over parts of the South China Sea with Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan. — JDS/BM/DVM, GMA News
The Panatag Shoal, which is also called the Scarborough Shoal, was the site of a standoff between Philippine and Chinese vessels in 2012 when the Philippine Navy tried to apprehend Chinese vessels fishing in the Philippine-claimed shoal.
Even before Malacañang’s confirmation of the incident, Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang said authorities were exploring the possibility of providing PCG escorts for Filipino fishermen sailing on disputed waters in the South China Sea.
Recent satellite images also showed Chinese reclamation and construction activities in disputed territories.
Increased ‘maritime domain awareness’
Coloma, for his part, said the Philippine government was determined to increase the PCG and the Philippine Navy’s capabilities to deal with similar incidents.
“Sinisikap ng pamahalaan na mapahusay ang kapasidad ng Philippine Navy at Philippine Coast Guard hinggil sa maritime domain awareness upang agarang matunton ang mga kahalintulad na insidente at mabigyang proteksyon ang mga mangingisdang Pilipino kung kinakailangan,” the Palace official said.
He added that the administration would continue to equip the PCG and the Navy with modern equipment to patrol and protect the country’s coastline.
“Ito naman ay idini-deploy sa pinakamainam na paraan para magkaroon nga nitong tinatawag na maritime domain awareness, upang malaman iyong mga mahahalagang nagaganap sa sinasakop ng ating territorial waters,” he said.
Manila and Beijing are locked in a territorial dispute over resource-rich parts of the South China Sea.
The Philippines, which calls the disputed areas the “West Philippine Sea," has sought international arbitration before a Netherlands-based tribunal to nullify China’s massive claims.
China uses the so-called “nine-dash line” to claim ownership of almost the entire South China Sea, while the Philippines uses the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as basis for its claim.
Beijing earlier rejected international arbitration proceedings to settle its territorial dispute with the Philippines, insisting instead on bilateral talks to settle the matter.
China also has overlapping claims over parts of the South China Sea with Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan. — JDS/BM/DVM, GMA News
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