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Chinese Coast Guard members trade expired goods for 30 kilos of Pinoys’ quality fish


Members of the Chinese Coast Guard took thirty kilos of high-quality catch from Pangasinan fishermen who went to fish in waters off Scarborough Shoal in early May.

According to Bam Alegre's report on "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho", the Chinese left the hapless Filipinos with a few packs noodles, cigarettes and beer—some of which have already expired.

"Noodles, dalawang balot. Ang laman ng isang balot, anim na piraso. Tapos tatlong beer, dalawang kahang sigarilyo," fisherman Ricky Dumuran said.

"Kaso sir, yung laman na mga produkto na yun, expired na," he added.

Dumuran's experience was among those discussed at the fishers' dialogue with the military in Iba, Zambales on Thursday.

Also present during the open forum were officials of Zambales, Philippine Coast Guard, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

"We have interviewed some fishermen who have said that they do it para wala na lang problema. Yung ang sinasabi mo na hindi likas sa loob nila. Hindi tama yun. So that's part of our communication sa China," Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said after a press conference in Taguig.

"If they are saying na may barter trade na kino-confirm naman ng ibang Filipino fishermen, kino-communicate natin sa China at kailangan malinaw na hindi sapilitan ito," he added.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque called the Chinese' practice "fish thievery."

"Let's call it pangongotong in Tagalog, which is fish thievery 'no? So we... I've never really addressed it as barter but there's a possibility given the language barrier that they consider it as barter but from out point of view, it is not," Roque said. —NB, GMA News

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