Coalition says mission successful, Chinese daily claims it did not reach objective
After the advance team of the Atin Ito Coalition said it breached the “massive” blockade of Chinese ships at Panatag Shoal during their second civilian supply mission to fishermen, the convoy headed back to Luzon Thursday afternoon.
In a phone interview with The Daily Manila Shimbun, Atin Ito Coalition Communications Head Emman Hizon said the main convoy decided to distribute food and fuel in its position when it learned that the advance team breached the blockade of Chinese vessels.
Global Times, China's national English newspaper, reported that a source claimed that the group's declaration of a successful mission to reach Scarborough Shoal was a "deception".
"Atin Ito’s unilateral declaration of 'mission accomplished' is an obvious deception, as its convoy stopped 50 nautical miles away from China’s Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal) after having sighted China Coast Guard ships," the source told Global Times.
“What they breached was..the massive blocking force of China at Panatag Shoal. They were successful in getting past that blocking force reaching Bajo de Masinloc, 25 to 30 nautical miles near the Shoal,” Hizon said.
“Upon learning of reports which were gathered by the captains of our boats that there are no longer Filipino fishers in Bajo de Masinloc because they were being sent away by Chinese Marine vessels, the main convoy decided to hold its last round of supply distribution in the current position where they were this morning,” he added.
Hizon said when the advance team arrived at Scarborough Shoal, a Chinese Navy vessel with the body number 175 shadowed them.
“Upon arriving in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc, in the middle of their supply distribution, they monitored a Chinese naval vessel was shadowing them and it slowly approached them as near as 200 to 300 meters,” Hizon said.
According to Hizon, there was a series of radio challenges between the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) during the civilian supply mission.
He added that the convoy is heading back to Subic fish port and is expected to arrive by midnight on Friday.
Atin Ito Coalition Co-convenor and Akbayan Party President Rafaela David said they have accomplished their mission.
"Despite China's massive blockade, we managed to breach their illegal blockade, reaching Bajo de Masinloc to support our fishers with essential supplies. Mission accomplished,” David said.
The Atin Ito Coalition said its advance team left on Tuesday morning before the official start of the civilian supply mission. Jaspearl Tan/DMS
