Pinoy fishermen enjoy their catch at the Panatag Shoal as two Chinese ships were spotted roving the area.
Two Chinese ships were spotted recently at the Panatag or the Scarborough Shoal but did not any longer harass the Filipino fishermen.
This is according to National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. in a statement he released on Sunday.
According to Esperon, two Chinese vessels, which include a research ship and a navy frigate, were seen in the Panatag Shoal from October 17 to 27 but the Filipino fisherfolks were allowed to enter the area and catch fish.
The research ship was spotted on October 19 while the frigate was seen on the 20th.
“There are no written agreements or rules but Filipino fishermen who went there lately attest that they were not driven away nor were accosted. And for the record, from October 17 to 27, there had been only two Chinese ships in Bajo de Masinloc [another name for Panatag Shoal]”, said Esperon on Sunday, October 30.
He added by saying, “That’s compared to [a] daily average of five People’s Liberation Army Navy and four Chinese Coast Guard ships in the past”.
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