Fishers: No PCG in Masinloc despite Chinese presence
Despite the increasing presence of Chinese vessels in Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc), the New Masinloc Fisherman's Association on Wednesday said the Philippine Coast Guard is nowhere to be found to secure Filipino fishermen.
Leonardo Cuaresma, president of the NMFA, said there are no PCG personnel to accompany them when they go fishing in the shoal, contrary to their promise.
"What we do is we log in at the PCG office at the Masinloc station when we go to Scarborough, but the truth is nobody escorts us as we fish in that area," Cuaresma said in the vernacular an interview over Super Radyo dzBB.
Cuaresma said the PCG had previously committed to escort fishermen in the area.
"Actually, at the height of the tension in the area in 2016, we were told that they would escort fishermen so we could fish in the shoal freely, but no one escorted us," he said.
The PCG earlier explained that the presence of Filipino Coast Guard personnel in the area could further trigger tension with the Chinese ships, Cuaresma said.
He added that the last time the group fished in the area was in May.
Cuaresma said Chinese vessels recently "bullied and blocked" the way of some 40 fishermen going the Bajo de Masinloc.
During his visit to Palawan last August, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said they were planning to increase the number of Filipino defenders by tapping fisherfolk to be military reservists.
"We want to use our fisherfolk as reservists. We are going to teach them how to help us defend our country," Brawner had said.
Cuaresma supported the AFP's plan, saying that their group would cooperate with government forces.
"If that's our government's proposal, we are ready to follow because we are aware of the need to protect our water resources for our economy," he said in Filipino.
"Why not? That's been our source of livelihood from the very start, the sea is vital to us," he added.
Sought for comment, the PCG had yet to respond.
Scarborough Shoal is 120 nautical miles from Masinloc and within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.