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The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), utilizing its vessel, BRP Datu Sanday, conducts a resupply mission to Filipino fishermen in the area of the Iroqouis (Rozul) Reef in the West Philippine Sea in these handout photos released February 9, 2024. Courtesy: DA-BFAR

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WPS-FISHERMEN

Michael Delizo

ABS-CBN News

<p>,</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171575453263920240209-wps-resupply-mission-HO-5.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), utilizing its vessel, BRP Datu Sanday, conducts a resupply mission to Filipino fishermen in the area of the Iroqouis (Rozul) Reef in the West Philippine Sea in these handout photos released February 9, 2024. <em>Courtesy: DA-BFAR</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — A Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) official on Wednesday brushed off a Chinese media report on Filipino fishermen allegedly urinating, spitting and littering in the West Philippine Sea, calling it a “cover up” to Beijing’s massive damage to the marine environment.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/21/24/pinoy-fishermen-harassed-by-china-coast-guard-pcg-confirms">READ: China Coast Guard harassed Pinoy fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc, PCG confirms</a></div><p>Commodore Jay Tarriela, <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the </span>report may be true, but “these are small things” compared to China’s reclamation activities.</p><p>“Hindi ko alam kung gaano kalinis ang mga Chinese fisherman. I won’t also lie. Totoo rin naman na nakikita rin naman natin ‘yan,” Tarriela said.</p><p>(I don&#x27;t know how hygienic Chinese fisherman are, but I also won&#x27;t lie. It is true and we also see that.)</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/01/23/24/filipino-fishers-say-china-coast-guard-forced-them-to-return-shells">READ: &#x27;Hindi makatao&#x27;: Filipino fishermen say China Coast Guard forced them to return shells</a></div><p>“But again, these are small things compared with the damage to the marine environment na ginawa nila, compared with the crushed corals that they are dumping in the entire South China Sea. Kumpara naman sa mga giant clams na pinagha-harvest nila at pinagpapatay nilang corals para makagawa ng isla, ano ba naman ang ihi ng isang Pilipino?”</p><p>(Compared to their dumping of crushed corals and their harvesting of giant clams, what is one Filipino peeing in the ocean?)</p><p>Tarriela said China is making an issue “to cover up their own illegal activities that is really damaging the marine environment.”</p><p>China is accused of dumping sand and crushed corals on the cays of Pag-asa (Thitu) Island and Escoda (Sabina) Shoal, which Philippine authorities suspect are attempts at new island-building activities.</p><p>Earlier, China state-run media Global Times released footage of supposed Filipino fishermen dumping garbage, urinating and spitting on Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, a resource-rich atoll that is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and that China seized in 2012.</p><div><strong>CIVILIAN MISSION</strong></div><p>Meanwhile. the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Bagacay on Wednesday was on standby near Bajo de Masinloc (Panatag, Scarborough) as the Filipino civil society coaliton &#x27;Atin Ito&#x27; sails to the China-controlled reef.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/14/2nd-civilian-mission-to-west-philippine-sea-to-avoid-china-water-cannons-843" id="isPasted">RELATED: 2nd civilian mission to West Philippine Sea to avoid China water cannons</a></div><p>Tarriela said the deployment of the vessel is part of the government’s measure to ensure the safety of the volunteer initiative.</p><p>As of Wednesday afternoon, BRP Bagacay was 14 nautical miles off Palauig Point, a municipality of Zambales province, according to the PCG.</p><p>Tarriela added that two more PCG vessels and one aircraft are also set to be deployed in the area amid risk of a faceoff between the civilians and dozens of Chinese vessels reportedly deployed by Beijing to block the convoy.</p><p> “Even with a very limited number of coast guard vessels we have…the PCG will really make sure and do whatever it takes para siguraduhin na mailigtas ang ating mga kababayang Piipino na ang dahilan lang naman ay naglalayag sila within our own economic zone,” Tarriela said in a media conference in Quezon City.  </p><p>(The PCG will really make sure and do whatever it takes to make sure to keep our fellow Filipinos safe. They are only sailing within our own exclusive economic zone.) </p><p>Around 100 people on board four commercial fishing vessels and a number of smaller outriggers left the Zambales port on Wednesday to sail towards Panatag Shoal.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/15/philippine-civilian-convoy-sails-towards-disputed-reef-827">READ: Filipino activists and fishermen sail in 100-boat flotilla to disputed shoal guarded by China</a></div><p>The trip to the waters around Panatag Shoal comes two weeks after China Coast Guard vessels fired water cannon at two Philippine government boats in the disputed waters, in the latest maritime incident between the two countries.</p><p>Despite China’s aggression, Tarriela maintained that Filipinos have the right to sail in the West Philippine Sea without seeking permission from the government.</p><p>“Are we provoking them? Are we escalating the tension? No. They are the ones who are escalating the tension because the mere fact that they are deploying their coast guard vessels, their maritime militia to block a civil society initiative in sailing within our own exclusive economic zone, ‘yan ang dahilan kung bakit nagkakaroon ng tension. Hindi tayo,” Tarriela said.</p><p> “I think it’s a wrong lens to see that the civil society is the one provoking China. This is a civil society movement and they are just enjoying what is written on the international law and what is entitled to them as a Filipino people,” he continued.</p><div> </div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ie7gQYHDO1g?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Tarriela said China is making an issue “to cover up their own illegal activities that is really damaging the marine environment.”</p>

Tarriela said China is making an issue “to cover up their own illegal activities that is really damaging the marine environment.”

PCG: Pinoy fishers' reported littering 'incomparable' to marine damage by China

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PCG: Pinoy fishers' reported littering 'incomparable' to marine damage by China

Michael Delizo,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 15, 2024 04:43 PM PHT

Read More:

West Philippine Sea

Scarborough Shoal

Panatag Shoal

Philippine Coast Guard

Jay Tarriela

China

Beijing

South China Sea

Atin Ito

ANC

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