Despite the plan of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to boost its presence in the West Philippine Sea, some fishermen in the province of Zambales said they were still reluctant to go back to the contested Scarborough Shoal, their traditional fishing ground.
“The Filipino fishers can’t be blamed if they are hesitant about venturing into the West Philippine Sea. We are the ones experiencing harassment from the Chinese personnel operating in our traditional fishing grounds” Bobby Roldan, a fisherman from Masinloc town, told the Inquirer on Monday, October 25.
According to Roldan, who is also the vice chairman of the fishers’ group Pamalakaya in Luzon, the continued presence of Chinese vessels and militia in the Philippine waters still poses a danger to them.
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https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1506891/zambales-fishermen-still-reluctant-to-go-back-to-scarborough-shoal