Fisherfolk could not go to the Scarborough Shoal to catch fish because of the presence of Chinese vessels, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Sunday.

“They (Filipino fishermen) could not go there (to Scarborough Shoal) because Chinese militia and Coast Guard vessels are blocking their way,” AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar told dzBB.

Aguilar did not say how long this has been going on.

“It’s regretful. We should not allow this to keep on happening. It’s like they (China) are insulting us with what they are doing. They know they do not have a basis for their territorial claim,” he added.

He argued that China was wrong in saying its claim over most of the South China Sea was “indisputable”.

“First, the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) itself disputes the claim of China. Second, the arbitral award invalidates their territorial claim. Third, many countries are supporting us in our fight for our territory, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over our maritime zones. Fourth, no country openly supports their claim over 90 percent of the South China Sea,” he said. Jaspearl Tan/DMS