President Rodrigo Duterte, coming from his recent state visit to China, had announced that Filipino fishermen can soon go back to fishing at the shoal. Filipino fishermen have waited for months as ships of the Chinese Coast Guard remained posted at Panatag Shoal or Scarborough Shoal preventing them from going inside its lagoon. Government officials, including the governor of Zambales, have advised the fishermen to refrain from going to Panatag Shoal to avoid trouble, even as aninternational court recognized the Philippines’ rights to fish there. China, which refused to take part in the arbitration, also rejected the ruling and maintained its occupation of Panatag Shoal and in all other islands in the Spratlys. In September this year, Filipino fishermen were again driven away by the Chinese Coast Guard and only allowed them access to the lagoon under limited fishing hours.

Source: Manila Times October 27, 2016 13:39 UTC