President Duterte’s policy allowed Filipino fishermen to return to the West Philippine Sea.
Malacañang on Thursday said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s policy allowed Filipino fishermen to return to the West Philippine Sea.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in his regular press briefing that fishermen would still be unable to go to Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea if not for the President’s policy on China.
Earlier, fisherman Carlo Montehermozo said that there were still Chinese vessels in the disputed waters who at times would shoo small fishing boats from the said area.
According to Roque, let’s not forget that fishermen — including Carlo — still won’t be able to fish if the policy on China didn’t change.
“Carlo, unang una, ang tanong, nakakapaghanapbuhay ka ba ngayon? Hindi ba totoo na noong panahon ng administrasyong Aquino kung saan tayo po ay pala-away sa Tsina, e yun po yung panahon na hindi kayo nakapangingisda sa Boro (Scarborough Shoal)? Wag po natin kakalimutan na kung hindi po nabago ang polisiya natin sa Tsina, hindi pa rin po kayo makakapangisda,” Roque said to Carlo.
It was during the Aquino administration when the Philippines filed a case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
The Permanent Court of Arbitration’s decision rejecting China’s claim to almost the entire South China Sea was handed down last July 2016, at the beginning of Duterte’s term.
China had consistently refused to acknowledge the arbitral ruling.
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Roque also reiterated that President Duterte’s election promise to ride a jet ski to the disputed waters and to plant the Philippine flag there meant he’ll assert Philippine sovereignty.
Roque further addressed Carlo and said that the difference now was the fishermen were able to fish in the contested area “as a matter of right” due to the ruling of The Hague, along with fishermen from other claimant states such as Vietnam and China.
“Sino po ngayon ang nagbigay ng pagkakataon sayo Carlo na magkaroon ng pagkain sa hapagkainan? Hindi ba po ang polisiya ng Presidente? At hindi ang polisiya na awayin ang Tsina? Ang punto po, dati ni hindi sila makapunta ng Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal). Malaking bagay po iyon. Wag po nating i-deny yan,” Roque said to Carlo.
Roque’s statement came after Carlo expressed dismay that President Duterte’s answer on how to help them fish peacefully in the West Philippine Sea in 2016 was only a “campaign joke”.
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