Camille Naredo

Fisherfolk on small bancas join volunteers from the Atin Ito Coalition and members of the media as they prepare to depart from Matalbis Port in Masinloc, Zambales, for the second civilian resupply mission to the West Philippine Sea on May 15, 2024.

The presence of the China Coast Guard (CCG) persists despite the effort of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to block them and assist the four main vessels of the second civilian resupply mission of the Atin Ito Coalition to the Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on May 15, 2024. Fisherfolk on small bancas join volunteers from the Atin Ito Coalition and members of the media as they prepare to depart from Matalbis Port in Masinloc, Zambales, for the second civilian resupply mission to the West Philippine Sea on May 15, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

West Philippine Sea

Reuters Wires

<p>Ten years after an international tribunal handed the Philippines a landmark legal victory against China&#x27;s claims in the South China Sea, fishermen who hoped the ruling would restore access to the disputed Scarborough Shoal say little has changed.</p><p>&quot;For us, that victory represented the promise of better days ahead, the return of our livelihoods, renewed prosperity, and hope for the future.&quot; said Henrilito Epoc, who now avoids the shoal after years of encounters with Chinese vessels.</p><p>&quot;We never truly felt the impact of that win... From our perspective, the harassment and pressure from the Chinese Coast Guard has only gotten worse,&quot; he added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/10/global-support-reaffirms-binding-nature-of-2016-arbitral-award-ahead-of-10th-anniversary-1654">READ: Global support reaffirms binding nature of 2016 arbitral award ahead of 10th anniversary</a></div><p>When news of the ruling reached the coastal town of Masinloc in July 2016, fishermen including Drio and Henrilito Empoc believed it would allow them to return freely to Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing ground that had fallen under China&#x27;s de facto control after a 2012 stand-off.</p><p>The tribunal ruled that China&#x27;s sweeping maritime claims had no basis under international law and that its restrictions on fishing at the shoal were unlawful. Beijing rejected the decision and continues to assert control around the feature.</p><p>A decade later, Drio and Empoc say Chinese vessels continue to harass, chase and block Filipino fishermen around the shoal, forcing many to fish closer to shore.</p><p>Drio recalled an encounter several years ago when Chinese personnel ordered him and another fisherman to leave the lagoon. Because the water was too shallow for their boat, they were forced to carry it across sharp coral, leaving their feet bloodied, but he said the humiliation of being driven away from their traditional fishing grounds hurt far more than the physical pain.</p><p>Empoc said he had witnessed Chinese vessels use water cannons against Filipino fishing boats and cut anchor lines to drive them away. Once dependent on the rich fishing grounds of Scarborough Shoal, he now supplements his income by driving a tricycle. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/10/marcos-jr-on-arbitral-award-anniversary-south-china-sea-must-never-be-an-arena-of-conflict-2031">READ: Marcos Jr. on Arbitral Award anniversary: South China Sea must never be an arena of conflict</a></div><p>Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal said tensions around the shoal increased after the ruling, not because the decision failed, but because China moved aggressively to prevent its enforcement.</p><p>Sovereignty over the shoal has not been established, but the 2016 ruling said China&#x27;s blockade of the shoal violated international law and that the area was a traditional fishing ground for several countries.</p><p>Beijing not only rejected the ruling but has sought to deny Philippine rights and interfere with their exercise, Batongbacal said, actions that underscored the significance of the decision and helped strengthen international support for Manila.</p><div><strong>(Camera, Editing &amp; Production: Adrian Portugal, Writing: Karen Lema ) </strong></div>

<p>Ten years after an international tribunal handed the Philippines a landmark legal victory against China's claims in the South China Sea, fishermen who hoped the ruling would restore access to the disputed Scarborough Shoal say little has changed.</p>

Ten years after an international tribunal handed the Philippines a landmark legal victory against China's claims in the South China Sea, fishermen who hoped the ruling would restore access to the disputed Scarborough Shoal say little has changed.

Filipino fishermen see no victory, a decade after landmark South China Sea ruling

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Filipino fishermen see no victory, a decade after landmark South China Sea ruling

Reuters

Published July 11, 2026 07:58 AM PHT

Read More:

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

Scarborough Shoal

Chinese Coast Guard

maritime dispute

Filipino fishermen

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