About 100 Filipino activists and fishermen sail on wooden boats to disputed shoal guarded by China

By JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — About 100 Filipino activists and fishermen, along with journalists, are sailing to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, where Beijing’s coast guard and suspected militia ships have used powerful water cannons to ward off what they regard as intruders. The Philippine coast guard deployed three patrol ships and the navy dispatched a ship to keep watch from a distance on the activists and fishermen, who set off on four wooden boats Wednesday from western Zambales province to assert Manila’s sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal. Dozens of journalists joined the three-day voyage. Fishermen on board about 100 small boats helped lay territorial buoys and distribute food packs and fuel to Filipino fishermen beyond the Philippines’ territorial waters before returning to Zambales.