THE Atin Ito coalition yesterday declared its mission to the Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, as a big success after an advance team delivered food and fuel to fishermen in the contested area.
The team, composed of 10 volunteers, left Zambales on a fishing boat last Tuesday, a day before the departure of the main convoy of four large fishing boats and 100 small boats.
The voyage of the advance team was announced only yesterday.
Rafael David, president of the Akbayan Party which is among groups under Atin Ito, said the advance team managed to move within 25 to 30 nautical miles off the shoal.
“Mission successful especially because Atin Ito was able to successfully send an advance team a day before our official mission,” said David.
“And this advance team of 10 brave men was able to breach China’s illegal blockade and reached 25 to 30 nautical miles away from Bajo de Masinloc,” added David.
China gained control of the shoal, about 124 nautical miles from Zambales, in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels. Since then, China has prevented Filipino fishermen from going in the lagoon at the shoal.
David said the team distributed about 1,000 litters of fuel and 200 food packs to fishermen in the vicinity of the shoal.
“This advance team did not go unchallenged. They were also shadowed by a Chinese naval vessel with body number 175. Despite the harassment and shadowing, our advance team proceeded with its mission and distributed assistance to the fishermen at Bajo de Masinloc,” said David.
“So, it’s mission accomplished, we were able to distribute assistance to our fishermen,” added David.
The main convoy, which left Zambales last Wednesday morning, stopped 14 nautical miles off Palauig Point in Zambales hours later and distributed food packs and fuel to fishermen in the area.
Last Wednesday night, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the convoy was shadowed by Chinese vessels. The PCG has deployed three vessels to escort the convoy.
The convoy was 67.4 nautical miles southwest of Magalawa Island, also in Zambales, as of around noon yesterday. Two Chinese Coast Guard and a Chinese Navy vessel were sighted near the convoy.
Atin Ito said the convoy will no longer proceed to Ayungin Shoal since the advance team has achieved its objective.
The PCG said the convoy was en route to Subic, Zambales as of yesterday afternoon after a short prayer at their last reported location.
In a statement, David said the strategy “stands as a testament to the ingenuity, resourcefulness and bravery of the Filipino spirit amidst formidable challenges.
“China may possess larger and more vessels, and wield strong water cannons, but we possess a secret weapon: our ‘diskarteng Pinoy’ which, when coupled with determination and love for fellow citizens and country, can surmount even the most daunting adversity,” added David.
David said the mission was a “tremendous success” despite the “extraordinary challenges.”
Last April 30, a PCG vessel and a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel were damaged after they were subjected to dangerous maneuver, water cannoning and ramming by Chinese vessels during a “humanitarian mission” in the area.
At the House, Speaker Martin Romualdez requested the PCG to submit a comprehensive strategic modernization plan to the House of Representatives, in preparation for the annual deliberations for the 2025 national budget.
The Speaker, a Commodore of the PCG Auxiliary, said the plan must outline the necessary steps and resources to enhance the Coast Guard’s capabilities, particularly in patrolling and safeguarding Philippine territories in the West Philippine Sea.
“Our national security and sovereignty are paramount,” Romualdez said. “By ensuring that our Coast Guard is well-equipped and well-funded, we can better protect our territorial integrity against external threats and assert our sovereign rights in these contested waters.”
Romualdez said the plan should detail “the current state of the PCG’s assets, projected needs for upgrades in vessels and equipment, training programs for personnel, and initiatives for regional cooperation and maritime law enforcement.”
He said the plan will be the basis for potential legislative actions to support and fund future enhancements.
“The House of Representatives is committed to backing the Philippine Coast Guard in its vital role. It’s not just about responding to immediate threats but also about maintaining a presence that underscores our commitment to national and regional security,” the Speaker said.
NOBODY SINGLED OUT
President Marcos Jr. said the government is strictly implementing immigration and visa rules for all, dismissing ideas that the Chinese are being singled out.
“Walang stricter rules kahit sa kanino. Pare-pareho lang ang rules sa lahat ng ating mga kaibigan na nanggagaling (sa ibang bansa (There is no stricter rules for anyone. The same rules apply to all our foreign friends),” the President said in an ambush interview in Cagayan de Oro amid the recent deportation of foreigners, many of them Chinese, involved in offshore gaming operations or supposedly studying in Luzon.
Marcos said recent developments showed immigration laws, including the issuance of work, tourist and student visas, had been abused by some foreigners.
He said some foreigners have been using fake documents and resorting to illegal activities, including human trafficking and scamming.
“So, what we will do is to strictly enforce (the laws),” he said, adding the government would ensure there would be no repeat of these incidents in the future.
The President also raised concerns over the alleged abuse of the Bureau of Immigration’s function to convert tourist visas into student visas that resulted in some foreigners staying longer in the country.
BI records showed that 16,200 Chinese who entered the Philippines as tourists were granted student visas last year. It was later discovered that some of the student visa holders were not enrolled in schools in the country.
“Walang special na rules para sa kahit na kanino. Pantay-pantay lang lahat pero gagandahan namin ang enforcement doon sa examination doon sa mga nag-a-apply ng visa o doon sa mga nagko-convert doon sa tourist visa na student visa, at iyung mga bumibili ng lupa dahil (nagpapanggap) sila na Pilipino sila (no special rules for anyone. But we will improve the enforcement on the examination of those applying for visas or those converting their tourist visas to student visas, and those who are pretending to be Filipinos to buy land),” Marcos said.
He acknowledged concerns that there might be security risks involved following the increase in Chinese citizens studying in the country. — With Wendell Vigilia and Jocelyn Montemayor
