Carlo Montehermozo, the fisherman who asked President Duterte about his plans on the Scarborough Shoal situation back in 2016, has called Duterte a “joke” of a president after Duterte said that his jetski comment is a “pure campaign joke.”
Montehermozo said that he and his fellow fishermen are “masama ang loob” after finding out that Duterte was only joking and calling them “stupid” for believing his deceptive promise during the presidential debate in Dagupan City, Pangasinan five years ago.
In 2019, a Chinese commercial vessel collided with a Filipino fishing boat, F/B Gem-Ver 1 near the Recto Bank. There were also many instances that Filipino fishermen were prohibited by the Chinese Coast Guard to enter Philippine waters as the current administration’s foreign policy pivot to China compromise our territorial claims, fishing rights, and exclusive right to explore natural resources.
President Duterte’s actions that have severely undermined Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea also have ramifications for the livelihood of fishermen.
Scientists calculated that billions of pesos in revenue are lost every day due to the state’s inability to stand up for our recognized claim over the disputed territories—which the Chinese have militarized and built artificial islands on. If the Philippines will continue to be unable to assert its sovereign rights, it could lose one-third of its total fish supply according to Dr. Mahar Lagmay.
SINAG also published a “Pulso ng Bayan” asking whether or not President Duterte is a “traitor” to Philippine sovereignty.
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Featured Image courtesy of Inquirer.
