Masinloc fisherfolk cry for help amid China moves in Panatag Shoal

MASINLOC, Zambales — Fisherfolk here on Friday appealed for government action amid Chinese blockade and China’s threat of detaining “trespassers” in the West Philippine Sea. 

Leonardo Cuaresma, Nolly delos Santos, Jeoffrey Elorde Elad made the impassioned call during the joint hearing of the House Committee on National Defense and Security and Special Committee on the West Philippine Sea regarding the supposed "gentleman’s agreement" between former President Rodrigo Duterte and the Chinese government.

The agreement supposedly prohibits the Philippines from repairing BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded ship in Ayungin Shoal. The shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as provided under the United Nations on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling.

“Dati-rati po, 1, 2 3 nautical miles [from Panatag Shoal] nakakapasok po ang mother boats. Ngayon po, noong huli, 24 nautical miles na lang po ang distansiya ng mga mother boats natin. Nakakalungkot po, sa June 15, huhulihin raw po nila,” said Cuaresma, whose testimony of Chinese aggression and water cannon attacks was one of those submitted by the Philippines when it sued China before The Hague-based PCA in 2014.

(We used to get as close as 1, 2, 3 nautical miles to Bajo de Masinloc. Now, we are as far as 24 nautical miles. It's sad. On June they will reportedly start arresting us.)

“Nagpapasalamat po kami ngayon na napakinggan niyo ang hinaing naming mga mangingisda para mabigyan ng lunas ang suliranin na ito,” Cuaresma added.

(We are thankful that we can make this appeal so you can help us resolve this problem.) 

Cuaresma also said that while Chinese aggression that included blockades in Panatag Shoal, known locally as Bajo de Masinloc and internationally as Scarborough Shoal,  dates back to 2014, the Chinese became more aggressive in 2018.

“Naglagay po sila ng giant barrier sa Bajo de Masinloc noong 2013, pero winasak po ng masamang panahon. Nakaranas po iyong mga taga Santa Cruz ng water cannon noong 2014, at noong 2018, merong mangingisda na binangga sa likurang ang kanilang bangka. Kapag nakita na nilang mangingisda na maraming huli, sinasabi, barter raw pero hindi barter. Iyong pambu-bully  ng Chinese coastguard sa mangingisda, kinukuha eh P10,000 na halaga ng huli ng isda, ipinapalit limang kilong noodles na iyong iba expired na,” Cuaresma said. 

(They've set up a giant barrier in 2013, but bad weather destroyed it. There were water cannon attacks in 2014, and in 2018 China rammed one of our boats. And when the Chinese saw a bountiful haul, they took P10,000 worth of catch in exchange for five kilos of noodles, some of which expired. That was not barter. That was how the Chinese coast guard bully us.) 

“Ngayon, iyong mother boats po, hindi na po nakakapasok. Iyong maliliit na sinasabay ng mother boats, sila na lang nakakapasok sa loob. Parang magnanakaw po [kami] sa sariling bansa,” Cuaresma added.

(Mother boats can't enter Panatag Shoal anymore, just the smaller boats accompanying it.)

Delos Santos said he could not help but weep over their situation of not being able to freely fish in Philippine waters.

“Idinadaan ko na lang po sa luha. Pag maraming huli, kaunti lang kita dahil sa utang. Sana po kahit kaunting ginhawa, maranasan namin. Ang hiling lang po namin, mapag-aral mga anak namin, masaya na kami,” Delos Santos said.

(I just end up in tears. Even if we have a lot of catch, our earnings are low due to debts. We wish for relief, send our children to school. That would make us happy.)

“Sana po tulungan niyo po kami. Hindi po kami tamad na mangingisda. Iyong ayuda, first aid lang sa amin ‘yan. Kinabukasan, wala na. P5,000, P2,000, kung tutuusin po, kaming mangingisda, hindi namin kailangan ‘yan kung malaya kaming mangisda sa sarili naming bayan,” Delos Santos added.

(Please help us. We are not lazy. P5,000, P2,000 financial aid is only good for a day. We won't need government aid if we can freely fish in our country's waters. )

Elorde, who serves as the chairman of Masinloc Tropical Fish Gatherers Association, could not agree more.

“Kaming mangingingisda sa Bajo de Masinloc, sana po iyong walang gagambala sa amin. Kahit nandiyan ang China, okay lang sa amin. Ang gusto lang namin na mga mangingisda na maging maayos ang sitwasyon naming makapagmalakaya, na walang takot sa aming sarili, para mangisda sa Bajo de Masinloc,” Elorde said.

(We want to freely fish in our waters, unhampered and not worried for our safety.) 

“Kaming mangingisda, huhulihin raw po ng China, masakit po sa aming kalooban. Gusto po sana naming iparinig sa inyo na sana matulungan kami na wala ng gagambala sa amin,” he added.

(Now, China wants to arrest us. It hurts us. We want you to hear us out and help us so China won't bother us anymore.)

'Vague' 

Meanwhile, Professor Jay Batongbacal of the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea said he has read a translation of China’s order and found it "vague."

"China Coast Guard yung binigyan nila ng ganoong kapangyarihan pero hindi malinaw roon kung hanggang saan siya ia-apply," Batongbacal said.

(They empowered the China Coast Guard but the boundaries of that power were not clear.)

Batongbacal said such directive, if applied in the West Philippine Sea, would be "illegal and invalid."

“Kung pipilitin nilang gawin 'yan dito sa West Philippine Sea, walang bisa 'yan. Illegal and invalid 'yan dahil wala naman silang boundaries dito sa West Philippine Sea. Kanila lang imagination 'yon," he said.

(If they will insist on implementing that in the West Philippine Sea, it will be illegal and invalid since they don't have boundaries in the West Philippine Sea. It's only in their imagination.)

He added that China could not arrest Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea as the area is not part of China. In case a Filipino is arrested there, he said it would be like "kidnapping" or "arbitrary detention.)

Batongbacal also said civilian mission in the West Philippine Sea should be encouraged.

“Mas maganda nga kumbaga maging regular activity talaga 'yon,” he said.

(It would be better if it becomes a regular activity.)

A group of fishermen, meanwhile, said  they will ignore China’s threat to arrest trespassers in the South China Sea.

Bigkis ng Mangingisda, an organization of fisherfolk in Zambales, Pangasinan, and Bataan, said they have no choice but to continue fishing in Panatag Shoal.

“Normal sa amin na makaramdam ng takot, makaramdam ng mga pangamba. Hindi namin papansinin yang batas na yan dahil doon nabubuhay ang aming pamilya,” Bigkis ng Mangingisda spokesperson Henrilito Empoc said in a press conference.

(It's normal for us to become scared and worried. We will just ignore that law because it is in Panatag Shoal that we get our livelihood.)

“Sapilitan din kaming babalik diyan sa Scarborough Shoal o Bajo de Masinloc,” Christopher de Vera Sr., a member of the group, said.

(We will forcefully return to Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.)

The PCA, in July 2016, upheld the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile EEZ in the West Philippine Sea as provided under the UNCLOS. The same ruling declared the Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Recto (Reed) Bank) as within the Philippines' EEZ while Bajo de Masinloc, locally known as Scarborough shoal, was identified as a common fishing ground. 

China, however, does not recognize the ruling to this day. —KBK, GMA Integrated News