Duterte on question of allowing Chinese to fish within PH EEZ: Of course

June 26, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte categorically said on Wednesday that he would allow China to fish within the 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone of the Philippines as part of his agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In a speech during the anniversary celebration of the Presidential Security Group at Malacañang Park, Duterte also said that what happened on June 9 in Recto Bank involving the Filipino fishing vessel and that of the Chinese was a "sideswipe" incident.

"That is a mere maritime accident or incident. You do not react violently. As a matter of fact, almost all of us agreed that it was a sideswipe (incident). It was not really rammed. If it was rammed, (the boat) was underneath," he explained.

The Filipino fishermen who were abandoned by the Chinese vessel after the incident initially claimed that their boat was rammed. But after Duterte apparently downplayed the incident and the visit to them by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol in Occidental Mindoro, the fishermen said they were not sure anymore if the Chinese ship rammed them.

Duterte also slammed Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio who said that Duterte could not allow Chinese fishermen to fish within the Philippine EEZ.

Carpio has cited Section 2, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution, which provides that the State shall protect the nation's marine wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone, and reserve its use and enjoyment exclusively to Filipino citizens.

"I was asked, 'Will you allow the Chinese to fish?' Of course. That was what we discussed before, that's why we're talking right now," Duterte said, recalling his previous meeting with Xi when he asked the Chinese leader to allow Filipino fishermen to fish again at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

China had barred the Filipino fishermen in Scarborough despite a ruling of the international tribunal that the area is a traditional fishing ground of the Filipinos, Chinese and Vietnamese.

"And that was, we were allowed to fish again. It was a mutual agreement. Okay, let us give and take. You fish there, I'll fish here," Duterte said.

He also said there were calls for him to ban the Chinese fishermen.

"If I will prohibit them, how do I enforce my desire?" the President said, also noting that even the United States is "afraid to confront" China.

He described Beijing as "a great power and had an arsenal comparable to any western power now, if not a rival or already in parity, already comparable with America." Celerina Monte/DMS