Filipino fisherman to China’s coast guard on disputed shoal: `This is Philippine territory. Go away’

By JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Filipino fishing boat captain is protesting the Chinese coast guard’s aggression in the disputed South China Sea where he asserts that Chinese officers forcibly drove him and his men away from a disputed shoal. The fishermen reported the Jan. 12 confrontation on Tuesday to Manila’s coast guard, which says it has validated their statements and video as accurate. China and the Philippines agreed in a Jan. 17 meeting to ease tensions after a year of territorial confrontations in one of the world’s busiest seas. The hostilities have sparked fears of a conflict that could involve Washington, Manila’s longtime treaty ally.