Duterte: Filipino fishermen 'bartered' with Chinese guardsmen who took their catch
杜特蒂稱菲律賓漁民被中國海警強索漁獲是“以貨易貨”
| Many in the Philippines are angered that President Duterte is surrendering the country's territorial waters to China without a fight
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – President of the Philippine’s Rodrigo Duterte has angered many in the Philippines for being too soft in his approach to China and not standing up for the interests of the Philippines in the South China Sea. Last week it was reported in the Philippines, that fishermen in the South China Sea near the Scarborough Shoal were being regularly harassed by the Chinese Coast Guard, and having their catches stolen by the Chinese guardsmen. Commenting on the incident this week, Rodrigo said that the fishermen were "bartering" with the Chinese, and that the catches were not unlawfully seized. Many Filipinos were surprised by Duterte’s downplaying of the incident involving the fishermen, which appears to be a further concession to the Chinese in the dispute surrounding Philippine territory in the South China Sea. The Scarborough Shoal is located in an important fishery for the communities of Zambales Province, of Central Luzon. According to many reports of local fishermen, the Chinese are increasingly asserting dominance over the waters, often harassing, driving off, and even stealing the best catches of the Filipino fishermen. ABS-CBN reports that Duterte responded to the complaints of the fishermen, by saying “it was not an outright seizure” and that it was unfortunate that they “had a problem in determining the value of the catch and the items they had exchanged.” The report suggests that the Chinese coast guard often take the best catches of the fishermen and leave them with some bottled water and instant noodles in exchange, an exceptionally unfair arrangement. Many fishermen claim that such exchanges are not consensual, and that the Chinese coast guard are acting like a mafia collecting taxes for operating in the area. Ever since a 2012 stand-off around the shoal resulted in the Philippines backing down from Chinese might, Beijing has effectively been in control of the waters, and has been limiting access by Filipino fishermen. President Duterte speaking on Philippine Independence Day, June 12, 2018 (Associated Press Image) Duterte’s words and lack of action regarding the ongoing territorial dispute indicate he is mostly unwilling to force a confrontation with China, reportedly insisting Beijing is “no pushover” in its position regarding its claims of sovereignty over the shoal and other features in the South China Sea. ABS-CBN reported that the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines said the reported seizures of the catches from the Filipino fishermen are being investigated, and will be dealt with “in accordance with (China’s) own regulations.” |
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| Duncan DeAeth, Taiwan News, Staff Writer | |
| 2018-06-19 |
