Carpio: Philippines can file complaint over Chinese poaching of fishermen’s catch

ACTING Chief Justice Antonio T. Carpio told reporters on Friday that the Philippines can protest and file a complaint in response to the video released on Thursday showing members of the Chinese Coast Guard allegedly harassing Filipino fishermen and seizing their haul off Scarborough Shoal in Zambales.
A GMA-7 report aired on Thursday showed Chinese Coast Guard personnel boarding the ships of Filipino fishermen and seizing their best catch.
“We should protest. If you want to be forceful about it we can bring another case against China for not abiding with the ruling,” said Mr. Carpio in an ambush interview, referring to the July 12, 2016 United Nations tribunal’s ruling on territorial claims in the contested South China Sea that favored the Philippines and dismissed China’s long-used nine-dash line claim.
“The arbitral ruling stated that we have a right to fish in the territorial sea of Scarborough so our fishermen have the right to fish in the lagoon of Scarborough but Chinese Coast Guard vessels have been preventing our fishermen from fishing inside so that’s already a violation of the arbitral ruling,” he added.
According to Mr. Carpio, who was part of the Philippines’s legal team in the case, “we can bring another case before the tribunal that China has been violating the ruling and demand damages because we can demand damages for economic loss that our fishermen have suffered.”
He pointed out: That’s the cause of action we must take to protect the interests of our fishermen.”
Malacañang, for its part, labeled the footage “inconclusive” and wanted it to be authenticated before taking any action.
This is the recent incident involving China in the contested waters, following reports of increased militarization of its islands and land features in the South China Sea.
Several nations, including claimants of disputed territories, have condemned China’s actions. These include the United States (US), France, United Kingdom (UK), Australia, and Vietnam, among others.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), several protests have already been filed against China.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte, ignoring calls from various politicians and experts, has avoided taking aggressive measures against increasing Chinese militarization, saying he does not want to go to war. — Dane Angelo M. Enerio