PCG vows continued rotational deployments in Bajo de Masinloc

Filipino fishing boats conduct fishing activity in Bajo de Masicloc on Thursday, October 6, 2022.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vowed on Saturday to continue rotational deployments in Bajo de Masinloc to protect the rights of Filipino fishermen and enhance the country’s food security.

According to PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela, the presence of PCG and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels in one of the disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea is under the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

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“The guidance of the President is very clear; the rotation and deployment will be here to stay between the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources,” Tarriela said during the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

“[The continuous deployment is] for food security, to make sure that we are going to protect Filipino fishermen’s rights and to ensure that Filipino fishermen will go on their fishing freely,” he added.

Tarriela asserted that the cessation of deployment in the area is “something that this national government is not considering.”

On the other hand, the official also clarified that the PCG and BFAR’s rotational deployment is not intended to “provoke anybody” or escalate tensions in the disputed zone.

“Are we provoking China? Are we escalating it? I don’t think so,” said Tarriela.

“Our objective here is to protect the Filipino fishermen, to make sure that the Filipino fishermen can fish in Bajo de Masinloc,” he stressed.

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On Friday, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said that the government deployed PCG and BFAR ships to Bajo de Masinloc due to recent harassment cases by China Coast Guard (CCG) personnel against local fishermen.

Año said in a statement that PCG ship BRP Teresa Magbanua and BFAR vessel BRP Datu Tamblot patrolled the vicinity of the area from February 1 to 9.

“These efforts aim to ensure the safety and security of our Filipino fishermen in their traditional fishing grounds,” Año said.

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