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Marcos tasks DFA, PCG to map out PH’s fishing grounds in West Philippine Sea
By ANNA FELICIA BAJO,GMA Integrated NewsWASHINGTON - President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday (PH time) tasked the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Coast Guard to identify and create a map of the Philippines’ fishing ground in the West Philippine Sea.
This came following the near crash incident off Spratly Island that took place between a Chinese and Filipino vessel.
Marcos said he already raised the issue
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“Well, they agree — they’re working on it so but you know — I said until we have that, we will continue to be doing this. So binalik ko ‘yung usapan sa (brought the discussion back to) fishing grounds. Sabi ko, puwede ba pag-usapan na natin ‘yung fishing grounds dahil ito naman talaga ang first priority natin for now (I said, can we talk about fishing grounds because that is our first priority for now)?” Marcos said.
“I mean, of course, the overall priority is to safeguard our maritime territory but the — when you go down into the details, the most immediate, let’s say, concern are the fishing rights. So that’s what we have to do. That’s what we have to decide and they have agreed again to sit down,” he added.
Marcos said the Philippines would wait for the feedback of China regarding this mapping of fishing grounds.
“I’ve asked the Coast Guard and the DFA to put together perhaps a map of these fishing grounds that — sasabihin natin, ito Pilipinas talaga ito (we'll say this is Philippine territory) and we’ll see what they say when we give them our proposal,” Marcos said.
China has since continued its aggression and atrocities against Filipino fisherfolk despite an arbitral ruling invalidating its massive claim over the region. —KG, GMA Integrated News