More than 50 fi shermen from 11 coastal town of Zambales gathered at the Masinloc Municipal Hall before Kabayan Party-List Rep. Harry Roque, who serves as legal counsel of the fishermen, to file another appeal to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR).
The fishermen invoked the recent arbitrary award of the UN-backed international tribunal in urging the UN to probe human rights violations committed by China against Filipino fishermen.
In an eight-page appeal, Roque and the fishermen reminded the UN of the two previous letters of complaint they filed last year alleging that China committed “massive and gross” human rights violations against Filipino fishermen for driving them away from the shoal.
“Specifically, we request that you exert your moral influence and urgently intervene, remind, and direct China and its state agents to respect the human rights of the Filipino fisherfolk,” Roque told UN in the appeal.
The new appeal was sent by e-mail during Roque’s dialogue with the fishermen, according to lawyer Gilbert Andres, a trustee of the Center for International Law and co-counsel for the fishermen.
Andres said the appeal was already received by the offi ces of Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Hilal Elver, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food; and Idriss Jazairy, UN Special Rapporteur on the Negative Impact of Unilateral Coercive Measures on the Enjoyment of Human Rights.
Roque said, “based on the international law, if we could prove that your human rights were violated, China has to compensate you,”
There was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the “nine-dash line.” Roque added.
The Philippines and China both had fi shing rights around the Scarborough Shoal and that China had interfered by restricting access.
Fisherman Viany Mula, 45, boat captain of fi shing vessel Marvin was one of the complainants who signed the appeal, hoping that the UN would act on their appeal so that they could return to Scarborough Shoal for normal fishing.
“Matagal na akong hindi nangingisda mula nang ipagtabuyan kami ng mga Chinese, pamamasada ng tricycle ang aking ginagawa at kumikita lang ako ng P400 sa aking pamamasada kung ikukumpara mo na kapag lumaot ako may P5,000 ang kita ko isang linggo”, Mula added.
During the dialogue Masinloc Mayor Arsenia Lim advised fi shermen not to go back to the shoal to avoid confrontation with Chinese Coast Guards patrolling at the vicinity.
Lim added that while the fi shermen waited for the tension to ease, there are other fi shing ground where they can catch fish.
