A decade after historic ruling, Philippine fishermen say driven away from disputed shoal by China
Adrian Portugal and Karen Lema
MASINLOC, Philippines, July 10 (Reuters) – The Philippines may have won a historic victory against China’s claims in the South China Sea 10 years ago, but today local fishermen are too afraid to venture into Scarborough Shoal and its valuable fishing waters for fear of harassment by Chinese ships.
The shoal, one of Asia’s most contested maritime areas, has been under China’s de facto control since 2012. In 2016, an international court – the Permanent Court of Arbitration – ruled that Beijing’s sweeping maritime claims had no basis in law.
The court said the shallow waters, which China calls Huangyan Dao, are traditional fishing grounds shared by many countries, including the Philippines, China and Vietnam. It did not decide which country had sovereignty over the shoal.
Many fishermen from the coastal town of Masinloc would go to the shallows at times, such as at night, when they thought Chinese ships might not be there. Now they don’t even do that, saying China has stepped up efforts to block and expel them.
Rony Drio, 59, has not been to the region since 2024. Our 47-year-old fisherman friend Henrilito Empoc has not been to the region since 2022. Instead they fish close to shore.
FISHERMEN SAID THAT THEY WERE KIDNAPPED WITH WATER SHOCKS AND THEIR ANCHORS WERE CUT OFF
“When we heard we won (in 2016), the freedom to fish again and the hope of a better livelihood came to our minds and hearts,” Empoc recalled.
But Empoc said it saw Chinese ships using water cannons against Filipino fishing boats and Chinese personnel cutting anchor lines to drive them away.
“They took away our right to fish,” said Empoc, who now uses a motorized tricycle taxi to supplement his income.
Drio said that several years ago, Chinese staff ordered him and another fisherman to leave the shallow lagoon. Because the water was too shallow for their boat, they had to carry it over sharp coral.
“The coral hurt our feet, but what hurt more was what they did to us,” he said.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the alleged actions of the Filipino fishermen. Beijing has long insisted that it does not recognize the court’s decision and has “undisputed sovereignty over Huangyan Island and adjacent waters.”
COURT DECISION HELPED THE PHILIPPINES GAIN SUPPORT
The shoal has been a constant source of tension between Manila and Beijing, with friction flared this year over a floating barrier China installed at the lagoon’s entrance, which was later removed following Philippine protests.
Beijing has also proposed establishing a nature reserve in the shallows; Manila condemned this as “a clear excuse for invasion”.
Some diplomats and analysts fear that conflicts in the South China Sea could escalate into armed conflict. In June 2024, a Filipino sailor lost a finger during a violent encounter with the Chinese coast guard during a supply mission to the Second Thomas Shoal, where Manila maintains a stranded warship.
Philippine officials say the international court’s decision strengthens Manila’s legal position and supports its “transparency initiative” in reporting conflicts at sea.
It also helped deepen defense cooperation with allies and led to the expansion of military and maritime activities with the United States, Japan and Australia.
Jay Batongbacal, director of the Institute of Maritime Affairs and Maritime Law at the University of the Philippines, says China’s actions are counterproductive in this regard.
“Without China’s actions, the number of the Philippines’ allies and security partners would certainly not have increased,” he said.
But that doesn’t give much comfort to the likes of Drio and Empoc.
“We won in 2016, but it doesn’t feel like a victory to me,” Drio said.
(Reporting by Adrian Portugal and Karen Lema; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
