INFANTA, PANGASINAN – Local fishermen have expressed their gratitude now that they are able to freely access the Scarborough or Panatag shoal.
Just days after his trip to China, President Duterte announced that local fishermen can now proceed.
Gilbert Baoya, a fisherman from Cato, Infanta said they were the first group of fishermen who went on an expedition to the disputed area and was happy to reveal a huge catch during their initial trip.
“Naglakas loob talaga kaming mga fishermen na pumaloot nang marinig namin na nagkaroon ng magandang ugnayan ang Pangulong Duterte sa China. Totoo nga ang kaniyang mga salita na magiging malaya na makapunta sa Scarborough.
Baoya, said at least more than a thousand fishermen and their families will benefit from being free to fish along Scarborough Shoal.
Baoya revealed they attempted to fish in the area on October 24 but were turned away by Chinese coast guards.
The following day, Baoya and his group made another trip and were surprised that no Chinese vessel attempted to stop them.
Chinese vessels have long prevented Filipino fishermen from working in the Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground that both countries claim as being rightfully theirs. An international tribunal at The Hague in July ruled that no country had sovereign rights to the shoal and that there was no legal basis to China’s claim to nearly the entire South China Sea. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)