Chinese vessels allegedly harassed Filipino fishermen near Pag-asa Island

Around 50 Chinese vessels were allegedly sailing near Pagasa Island and intimidating local fishermen, amid the ongoing dispute in the South China Sea.

According to a report in GMA News TV's News To Go on Tuesday, Kalayaan, Palawan Mayor Roberto Del Mundo said that from January 11 to February 2, he constantly spotted dozens of Chinese vessels near the island.

Local fishermen were also supposedly warded off by Chinese nationals away from Sandy Cay, a group of sand bars between Pagasa Island and China's artificial island in Subi Reef.

The Palace said it will communicate with the Department of National Defense regarding the issue.

"Our fishermen have been fishing there. So nobody has the right to drive our fishermen away. We have to validate that," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.

In a separate report by Chino Gaston on GMA News TV's State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that the alleged harassment among local fishermen in Sandy Cay has yet to be confirmed by the government troops on the ground.

Further, he noted that those aboard the Chinese vessels roaming around the South China Sea were not ordinary fisherfolk but militias or civilians allied with the military force.

"It jives with their movement saka strategy nila na kung nasaan 'yung mga navy ships nila at saka coast guard ships, nandun po ang malalaking barko ng fishing boats. So, ergo, ang ating conclusion is these ships work together," Lorenzana said.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., for his part, said that fishing vessels from both the Philippines and China are present in the waters surrounding Pagasa Island. He noted that the two countries are both asserting claims in the area.

Meanwhile, GMA resident analyst Richard Heydarian said that China is employing this tactic to scare off other claimants to territories in the resource-rich sea.

He also noted that China has been monitoring the upgrade of the Philippines' military facilities in Pagasa Island, such as the construction of a port and beaching ramp.

This action is a "clear-cut" violation of international law as Pagasa Island is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, an expert from the Center for International Law said.

The maritime security expert Prof. Jay Batongbacal also believes that the Philippines should protest the incident.

"If we are serious that the two countries have good relations, then we should not be interfering with each other's fishing activities 'di ba? Siyempre, dapat mag-protest. On the basis na number one, that is supposedly our waters, and number two, in accordance with maintaining good relations, China should at least not interfere with legitimate Philippine activities," Batongbacal said. —Dona Magsino/BM, GMA News