PROMDI Party presidential bet Sen. Manny Pacquiao yesterday assured Filipino fishermen that they will enjoy full government protection inside the country’s territorial waters from intimidation and competition from Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea.
The retired boxing champ said he is prepared to send Philippine Coast Guard ships to escort local fishing fleets in blue waters so they can earn their living and help shore up supplies for the country’s markets.
Pacquiao made the pronouncement during a meeting with shellfish growers, fishermen, and vendors in Barangay Siniguelasan, Bacoor City.
Filipino fishermen lamented that they are being denied by the Chinese Coast Guard their right to enter traditional fishing grounds even if these were inside the country’s territorial limits in West Philippine Sea.
“We can’t allow our countrymen to be scared away from our own backyard. We can deploy the Coast Guard to provide security for our own fishermen,” he said.
Pacquiao reiterated his partiality to defending the rights of agriculture and fisheries workers because they belong to the poorest sector of the Philippine society.
He stressed that, should he win the presidency, he intends to ensure their chance to earn a decent living to support their families and to end their mistreatment by powerful interests.
“We seek out the most depressed areas because they are where many of our countrymen live — particularly the market vendors. Given a chance, we can extend more help to them through new and modern technologies to help them improve their business,” he said.
