Despite the increasing presence of Chinese vessels in the  Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc), the New Masinloc Fisherman's Association on Wednesday said the Philippine Coast Guard does not escort Filipino folks fishing in the area.

Leonardo Cuaresma, president of the New Masinloc Fisherman's Association, said the PCG is nowhere to be found when they are fishing in the shoal.

"Ang ginagawa lang po namin kapag pumupunta po kami ng Scarborough Shoal naglo-log out lang po kami doon sa tanggapan po ng PCG dito sa Masinloc station pero ang totoo po niyan wala naman pong ume-escort sa amin para mangisda po kami doon sa lugar (What we are doing is that we are just logging out at the PCG office here in Masinloc station when we are going to the Scarborough Shoal but the truth is nobody is escorting us to fish in that area)," Cuaresma said in an interview over the  Super Radyo dzBB.

Cuaresma stressed the PCG had previously committed to escort fishermen in the area.

"Actually, noong panahon na kasagsagan nitong 2016 ay sinasabi nga po noon na talagang i-escort-an po 'yung ating mangingisda para malayang makapangisda doon sa shoal pero wala naman pong nag-eescort sa amin (at the height of the tension in the area in 2016, we were told that they will escort fishermen so we can fish in the shoal freely but no one escorted us)," he said.

However, the PCG earlier explained that the presence of Filipino Coast Guard personnel in the area could further trigger tension with Chinese ships, according to Cuaresma.

The last time that the group fished in the area was in May, he added.

Cuaresma said Chinese vessels were supposedly "bullying and blocking" 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 are planning to increase the number of defenders by tapping fisherfolk to become military reservists amid China's aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

"We want to use our fisherfolk as reservists. We are going to teach them how to help us defend our country," Brawner said.

Cuaresma, meanwhile, expressed support for the AFP's plan, noting that their group will actively cooperate with the government forces.

"Kung 'yan po ang panukala ng ating pamahalaan ngayon ay handa po kaming sumunod kung sakali sapagkat alam namin na itong yamang-dagat po natin ay malaking kawalan din po natin para sa ating ekonomiya (If that's the proposal of our government now, we are ready to follow because we are aware of the need to protect our water resources for our economy)," he said.

"Bakit hindi po namin gagawin? Sapagkat mula po noong una ay diyan po kami nabuhay at diyan din po kami nagkamalay kaya naman po ay napakahalaga sa amin ang karagatan (Why not? That's our source of livelihood from the very start, the sea is very important to us)," Cuaresma pointed out.

Sought for comments, the PCG is yet to respond on the matter.

The Scarborough Shoal is only 120 nautical miles from Masinloc and within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.