Chinese coast guard shadows Filipino activists sailing toward disputed shoal

By JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Chinese coast guard ships have shadowed a group of Filipino activists and fishermen sailing on wooden boats toward a disputed shoal in the South China Sea which Beijing has fiercely guarded from what it regards 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 Wednesday to assert Manila’s sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal. Dozens of journalists joined the three-day voyage. On organizer said the four wooden boats carrying the Filipinos were still far from the shoal when at least two Chinese coast guard ships began shadowing them at nightfall.