March 27 ------ The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources recently conducted a joint maritime patrol in the West Philippine Sea, which was deemed “successful” despite China's harassment of Filipino fishermen, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said.
Tarriela said the mission delivered fuel and food provisions to 26 Filipino fishing boats near Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc from March 23 to 25, 2025. “I would like to believe this is a very successful mission. The mere fact na ang mga mangingisdang Pilipino ay naprotektahan, because of the deployment of the PCG and BFAR vessels, nakatanggap sila ng fuel subsidy. And as we speak right now, may mga mangingisdang Pilipino pa rin na nasa BDM ngayon,” said Tarriela.
A fleet of four multi-mission offshore vessels from BFAR — the BRP Datu Sumkad, BRP Datu Balensusa, BRP Datu Tamblot, and BRP Datu Pagbuaya — sailed to the West Philippine Sea over the weekend for the mission. They were accompanied by two PCG vessels — the BRP Cabra and BRP Bagacay — to ensure the safety and security of the Filipino fishermen in the area. After nearly a day of sailing, the supply mission reached the fishermen located about 30 nautical miles from Bajo de Masinloc on Monday morning. However, the PCG had already monitored seven Chinese Coast Guard ships and two People's Liberation Army Navy vessels.
Despite the intimidating presence of the Chinese vessels, Filipino fishermen did not back down. One by one, they approached the BFAR vessel carrying containers to refuel. The process of refueling and loading supplies onto their boats continued until all fishermen were assisted. Strong waves also became a challenge to the mission, but for the Filipino fishermen, this was a minor inconvenience compared to the threats posed by the Chinese ships. A 43-year-old fisherman Ronald Arpon from Zambales, said the resupply mission was a blessing. “Malaking bagay ito sir kasi malaki ‘yong konsumo namin. Kabawas-bawas na yan sa sakit ng ulo,” said Arpon.
Arpon stressed that they feel secured whenever there is a presence of Philippine ships in the West Philippine Sea, especially since they are often driven away by Chinese ships. “Masakit kasi diyan kami nabubuhay sa BDM. Kapag walang nahuli dito sa laot, doon kami pumupunta…. Nong nakaraan, sinabihan ako na 30 miles sa China territory. Pinabayaan na lang namin. May takot talaga kasi mag-isa ka lang dito, saka maliliit (kami). Minsan ang sumusunod sa amin, tatlo o dalawa. Anong laban diyan… Hindi tayo mawalan ng pag-asa. Kasi sa atin ‘yan,” he furthered.
During the mission, the CCG attempted to disrupt the operation by blaring sirens and issuing a radio challenge to the BFAR vessel, BRP Datu Balensusa, saying that the Philippine vessels were already in the vicinity of their territory. According to the PCG, three Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats, or RHIBs, approached and attempted to drive the Filipino fishermen away. Fisherman Jessie Remegio shared to ABS-CBN News team how they were signaled to leave. “Sinisenyasan kaming palayo kami. Siyempre susunod tayo sa kanila kasi di natin sila ano e. Wala tayong maggawa… Masakit din para sa akin e dito ‘yong pinaghahanapbuhayan namin. Mga pamilya namin nagugutom dahil sa kanila. Sa atin to. Ang layo na nila sa lugar nila,” he uttered with disappointment.
Meanwhile, Tarriela emphasized that the presence of Chinese vessels inside the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone is illegal and encouraged Filipino fishermen to continue conducting fishing activities in Bajo de Masinloc. “We would like to encourage the Filipino fishermen na mangisda rito. We have to show the world that we are not afraid with this kind of harassment… What we are doing in the WPS is in accordance with UNCLOS and 2016 arbitral award. We have all the legal basis, para mangisda tayo rito,” Tarriela furthered. For the Philippine government, it was a successful mission, but Filipino fishermen continue to hope for a time when they can safely and freely fish in the West Philippine Sea without harassment from a foreign power.
Source: abs-cbn.com
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