Fishermen, NYMWPS tell China: Leave the country immediately

Scarborough Shoal Fisherfolks and families and the NYMWPS members asking the Filipino people to fight for the West Philippine Sea, protesting China to respect Philippine sovereignty, stop destroying marine resources and asking to get out of the West Philippine Sea . Center: Dr. Celia Lamkin , NYMWPS founder and global chair , holds the NYMWPS banner , Capt. Caruso M. Tagal (back of Dr. Lamkin) NYMWPS Director of Membership , Prof. Ron Lamkin ( right to Dr. Lamkin) , NYMWPS member and adviser and Via Tagal ( next to Mr. Lamkin) , NYMWPS multimedia officer.

MANILA — A civilian contingent of some 90 Bajo De Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) fishermen and civil society members aboard 25 motor boats Saturday afternoon, embarked on a symbolic sea expedition a mile off the waters of Zambales and demanded China to leave immediately.

Earlier on the same day, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported that China Coast Guard directed water cannon at its resupply mission boat on its way to BRP Sierra Madre beached in Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal).

Ayungin is a submerged reef 194 kilometers (105 nautical miles) off Palawan, well within the country’s 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone.

Hainan, China’s nearest province to Ayungin Shoal is 1,285 kilometers (694 nautical miles) more than thrice farther the mandated 200-nautical miles alloted each coastal state by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea UNCLOS).

Unaizah May 4 (UM4) sustained heavy damage and injured three navy crew who were prompty given medical attention according to National Security Adviser Eduardo Año on Sunday.

The Rotation and Resupply (RoRe) mission was accomplished after BRP Sierra Madre deployed inflatable boats to UM4 to ferry personnel.

The symbolic sea expedition was spearheaded by the National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea (NYMWPS), a peaceful, transglobal organization that advocates for the Philippine sovereignty and territorial integrity, in support of Scarborough Shoal fishermen who are always being harassed by China Coast Guard and militia and denied bountiful living.

Testimonies of fishermen revealed that China Coast Guard has been harassing them by using rubber boats and has been using water cannons if they could not apprehend them while sailing towards Scarborough Shoal.

The civilians, led by Dr. Celia Lamkin, founder and global chair of NYMWPS, protested increasing Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea and demanded China to leave immediately.

“Lumayas ka sa aming karagatan! Irespeto mo ang aming sobereniya… tigilan mo na ang pambubully at pang-aapi sa aming mga mangingisda at sa bawat Pilipino,” Lamkin angrily said in calling out China.

The NYMWPS also conducted medical mission to 100 patients with free medicines and gave health education and counselling as well.

The non-givernment organization also distributed rice, canned goods and noodles to 156 families of Scarborough Shoal fishermen.

It was assiisted by the Philippine Guardians Brotherhood , Inc (PGBI ) Genesis chapter Cainta led by its Founder Romeo Belocora , PGBI Masinloc Chapter led by Ray Elpuz who is also the President of the NYMWPS Zambales chapter and Capt. Caruso Mario Antonio Tagal, former miltary pilot of Philippine Air Force, retired airline pilot of Philippine Airlines (PAL), the NYMWPS Director of Membership, Prof. Ron Lamkin, husband of Dr. Lamkin and NYMWPS member and adviser and son Jericho, NYMWPS member , Alphonse Vita, NYMWPS Membership Committee Chair, Via Tagal, NYMWPS Multimedia officer , Cherry Naluz and Cathy Naluz, both NYMWPS volunteer medical assistants.

Some of the members of PGBI Masinloc who are also fishermen were also given groceries.

NYMWPS called on the Filipino people to fight and defend the West Philipine Sea, as well assert and harvest the gains of Philippine victory in the International Arbitral Tribunal on July 12, 2016.

In July 2016, the UN Arbitral Tribunal in the Hague junked China’s nine-dash line (now 10-dash-line to include Taiwan) claims and ruled that Ayungin Shoal is within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

China refused to acknowledge the decision and claims the entire South China Sea which includes the West Philippine Sea.

Other countries have also overlapping maritime claims like Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan.

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea is scheduled to meet today to discuss the latest Chinese violence.

Several countries including US, Japan, European Union, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Netherlands to immediately denounced the latest China aggression and called on Beijing to respect law-based international order.