Images of US ships make PH fishers hope

USS Shiloh docked at the Alava Pier inside the Subic Bay Freeport after coming from patrol assignments in the West Philippine Sea. ALLAN MACATUNO/INQUIRER CENTRAL LUZON

SUBIC, Zambales—Fishermen from this coastal town said they had been seeing a gray warship patrolling near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, and it had given them hope.

Aniceto Achina, captain of the fishing boat JJM, said the unidentified vessel might have belonged to the US Navy that had been in the area before and after the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague handed down a ruling that invalidated China’s claim to almost all of the South China Sea.

“It was distinct from the Chinese vessels patrolling the shoal,” said Achina, who frequents the shoal with his 12-man crew.

Another fisherman, Larry Alaras, 48, said the ship had been visible from where they usually fished, which is about 17 miles from the shoal.

“Most likely it was a US ship. I’ve seen that before. Perhaps it has been to Subic Bay,” Alaras told the Inquirer.

He said the vessel had been stationary and kept a safe distance from five Chinese Coast Guard ships that had discouraged Filipino fishermen from venturing into the area.

“It’s been there for quite a long time now. At times it disappeared but it would always return,” Alaras said.

On Wednesday, a US Navy ship patrolling the West Philippine Sea arrived at the Subic Bay Freeport for a routine port call.

The Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Shiloh docked at the Alava Pier after completing patrol assignments in the West Philippine Sea, according to an advisory from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

The Shiloh is part of the US Navy’s Carrier Strike Group 5, which includes the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

This free port, which is situated some 198 kilometers (123 miles) east of Scarborough Shoal, continues to host US warships. Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon