THE Philippines on Monday demanded that China stop confiscating the catch of Filipino fishermen in the disputed South China Sea, calling the practice “unacceptable.”

The remarks by President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman were a rare public rebuke from Manila, which has taken a non-confrontational approach with Beijing over the resource-rich waterway.

China controls several reefs in the sea including Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal, which Beijing seized from Manila in 2012 and which is just 230 kilometers (143 miles) from the main Philippine island of Luzon.





China claims almost the entire resource-rich sea, through which $5 trillion in trade passes annually, despite competing partial claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque on Monday confirmed a report that Chinese Coast Guard personnel seized the catch of Filipino fishermen in Panatag Shoal in May in violation of an agreement between the two nations allowing Filipinos to fish there.

“We have addressed this issue to the Chinese and we are demanding that the Chinese take steps to stop the coast guard from doing these acts,” Roque told reporters.

“That is unacceptable. That is why we informed the Chinese we will not allow fish to be taken from our countrymen.”

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to Agence France-Presse’s request for comment.

Duterte’s administration rejects criticism that its response to Chinese activities in the hotly contested waters has been weak.

China in May reportedly deployed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles on the Spratly Islands and flew nuclear-capable bombers to a base in another disputed part of the sea.

Duterte’s aides have said previously the Philippines is taking “all diplomatic action” to protect its claims while insisting it would not anger China by engaging in “megaphone diplomacy.”

Manila, which has pursued trade deals and investment from China, instead holds regular talks with Beijing on the dispute.

On Monday, Roque refused to describe the latest incident as harassment, adding the Chinese Coast Guard gave the Filipino fishermen noodles, cigarettes and water in exchange for their catch.

The fishermen, who appeared with Roque in the news briefing, said they were powerless to stop repeated seizures by the Chinese.

“The (Chinese Coast Guard personnel) board our boats, look at where we store the fish and take the best ones. We cannot do anything because their huge vessels are there,” said Romel Cejuela, one of the fishermen.

‘China controls shoal’

“Personally, I think it is still China [that controls Panatag Shoal],” said Cejuela, one of the fishermen featured in a report by a television program last week. Video showed members of the China Coast Guard taking the catch of three fishermen in the shoal.

The Philippines does not have any vessel patrolling the waters, Cejuela said.

“Their (China’s) boats are always there, we always see it. That means, it is like they are still in control [of the shoal],” Cejuela said.

Cejuela also bared that bigger ships, or “mother ships,” were not allowed to reach the fishing ground. Only smaller boats were allowed to enter the shoal, he said.

Once they filled their smaller boats, they took the catch to their mother ship and returned to the shoal to fish again, he explained.

Cejuela confirmed that members of the China Coast Guard usually took their catch, amounting to around P4,000, in exchange for cigarettes, packets of noodles and water worth less than P200.

“[I think this is unfair.] It is like, the cigarettes, water and noodles, it will not amount to P200. For us, we are [not contented] that this is what we get in return,” Cejuela said.

Cejuela then asked the government to protect them from the Chinese.

“[We are scared that if we deny them of the fish] we will not be allowed to enter Scarborough. Once they are aboard our boat, they will open our containers,” Cejuela said.

“What we want the government to do is to limit [the China Coast Guard] from going near us and taking our fish,” Cejuela added.

with AFP