Lorenzana orders military to validate Chinese harassment of Filipino fishermen

March 6, 2019

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana ordered the military to validate alleged harassment of Filipino fishermen in the sandbars near the Pag-asa Island in West Philippine Sea.

“Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana has directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines to validate the report from Kalayaan Mayor Roberto del Mundo on the alleged harassment of Filipino fishermen in the sandbar near Pag-asa Island,” said Arsenio Andolong, Department of National Defense public affairs service chief said in a statement issued Wednesday.

“Based on the initial communication from the AFP Western Command (Wescom), there has been no substantiated report from our units on the ground confirming Mayor del Mundo’s statement,” he noted.

“The AFP, through the Naval Forces West under Wescom, will nonetheless continuously validate and report any information relevant to Mayor del Mundo’s claims,” he added.

Andolong said Lorenzana issued his directive after a news report quoted del Mundo  as saying Filipino fishermen were being driven away by Chinese fishermen when they come near the sandbars.

“It has to be noted that the area referred to by Mayor del Mundo is a traditional fishing ground for the Philippines and other countries, including China and Vietnam,” he said.

“According to Wescom, they have been encouraging fishermen from Pag-asa to continue their activities since it has been observed that they have not been fishing in the vicinity of the sandbar, even before the Chinese fishing vessels were sighted in the area,” he said.

Andolong said as of the present the government are constructing sheltered port in the island for the Filipino fishermen.

“A sheltered port in Pag-asa is currently being constructed to help our fishermen,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS