THE National Security Council (NSC) has asked the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to gather evidence on the reported Chinese cyanide fishing at the contested Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc, and submit these to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea.
NSC Assistant Director General and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said the NSC is “alarmed” by the information reported by Filipino fishermen.
“We will investigate this report and if validated, we can forward this to the Department of Justice (DOJ) or to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG),” he said.
Malaya said the DOJ and the OSG are the government agencies leading efforts for the possible filing of charges against China before an international tribunal for environmental degradation.
“The challenge here is how to prove that the responsibility for the coral degradation and the impact on environment is coming from this specific people … You know, when we go to the court, we will have to have solid evidence to back our claim,” he said.
On Saturday, BFAR spokesman Nazario Briguera said the agency received information from Filipino fishermen that Chinese fishermen are resorting to cyanide fishing at the shoal. Briguera said Chinese fishermen are destroying the shoal to prevent Filipino fishermen from going to the area.
Meanwhile, Malaya said the government will intensify its rotational presence at the shoal, about 124 nautical miles from Masinloc town in Zambales.
China gained control of the shoal following a standoff with Philippine government ships in 2012. Since then, the Chinese have prevented Filipino fishermen from fishing inside the shoal’s lagoon
On Friday, the NSC announced the government has directed the Philippine Coast Guard and the BFAR “to deploy their vessels for rotational deployment” at the shoal starting this month.
A PCG ship, BRP Teresa Magbanua, completed its nine-day patrol from February 1 to 9. A BFAR vessel, BRP Datu Tamblot, has been conducting patrols at the shoal since February 14, the NSC said.
Malaya said PCG and BFAR vessels involved in the patrols are also providing supplies to Filipino fishermen
“It’s not only at Bajo de Masinloc where we are helping our fishermen but also in other areas in the West Philippine Sea. We are increasing our rotational presence,” he said.
Malaya urged Filipino fishermen to continue fishing at Scarborough Shoal, noting that the shoal is part of Philippine territory.
“We are going to increase government presence (at the shoal), through Coast Guard, through the BFAR and of course through the regular patrols of the Philippine Navy, to show to the whole world, including those causing tension there, that that’s part of Philippine territory,” said Malaya.
Malaya said the move is also meant to show that “Philippine government has the back of our fishermen fishing in the West Philippine Sea.”
Meanwhile, Malaya and two other government officials were appointed as members of the PCG Auxiliary Executive Squadron at the PCG headquarters in Manila yesterday.
PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan led the donning of rank and oath-taking ceremony of Malaya; Pierangelo Dominguez, action officer for administration at the Quezon City government; and Crisanto Saruca Jr of the Traffic Discipline Office, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
