“Ang Scarborough Shoal lamang ang pinakamalapit na pangisdaan ng isdang bato at maganda ang pangis – daan doon. Bale ito ang kanlungan namin, shelter na pinagkukublihan kapag masama ang panahon at malalak – as ang alon, said Diogenes Corceles, boat captain of F/B Queen Kim Eurich.
Eurich is the only boat in Bataan that continued fishing in the Scarborough Shoal after the sea row between China and the Philippines erupted.
The boat was one of two vessels from Bataan bombarded by water cannons by the Chinese Coast Guard sometime in April 2015.
Corceles said they stopped only for a few days fishing in the disputed shoal but have since resumed until today. He said they have been fishing at the shoal since 1998.
“Isang linggo lang ang pangingisda sa Scarborough hindi tulad sa ibang bajura na matagal dahil malayo. Scarborough Shoal ang pinakamalapit na bajura kaya maliit ang gastos. Maganda ang hanapbuhay doon,” the boat captain said.
Corceles said they no longer expe – rience harassment from the Chinese unlike last year. “Pwede nang pakiusapan ang mga Intsik ngayon,” he said.
On the decision of the arbitral tribunal expected Tuesday, Corceles said: “Kahit sino sana manalo, basta pabayaan kaming mangisda, hindi kami gambalain doon.”
“Maliit lang din ang bajura, kung hahatiin wala ring mangyayari,” he said when asked if he was in favor of sharing it with China if the Philippines wins in the arbitration.
George Sambilad, F/B Lorena skipper, and other fishing boat crews were also against sharing Scarborough Shoal with China. “Atin talaga iyon, bakit i-share sa China,” they said, adding that the sharing will greatly affect the livelihood of fishermen.
“Magandang pangisdaan ang Scarborough Shoal at No. 1 na kublihan kapag masama ang panahon,” Sambilad said.
Only Flordeliza Salota, president of the Sisiman Fishing Operators’ Association, expressed moderate views. She said most of her 500 members in 39 big fishing boats used to fish in the Scarborough Shoal since 1998 but stopped after the tension caused by the sea dispute.
Her members are fishing at the Commodore Reef.
“Mahal na Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, sana pag-usapan na lang ng maayos at kung kailangang paghatian, paghatian para walang gulo. Ang mahalaga, makapangisda roon ang mga Pilipino,” she said.
Salota said she was confident that the Philippines will win in the United Nations Arbitration Tribunal although she said: “Kaya lang sa palagay ko, hindi papayag ang China sa disisyon.
