00:00Two Filipino fishermen were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard near Bajo de Masinloc after their boat's engine exploded
00:07Meanwhile, the PCG denied any assistance from the China Coast Guard in this operation
00:12Our Patrick De Jesus reports
00:17Rescue operation by the Philippine Coast Guard was not easy on two Filipino fishermen
00:23who were seriously injured in the explosion of their boat while fishing in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc or Panatagshol last Saturday
00:34According to the PCG, after receiving a distress call from Filipino fishermen about the incident,
00:40the BRP Sindangan, which was conducting maritime patrol at the time, immediately came to the rescue
00:47However, they were allegedly blocked several times by two China Coast Guard ships as well as Chinese maritime militia vessels
01:17Despite the harassments, the fishermen who suffered second-degree burns were still transferred to the BRP Sindangan
01:24and were later transported to the Philippine Coast Guard in Bajo de Masinloc
01:30They immediately rescued the two Filipino fishermen who were injured and brought them to us so that we can immediately bring them to the BRP Sindangan
01:40Despite the harassments, the fishermen who suffered second-degree burns were still transferred to the BRP Sindangan where they received first-aid treatment
01:50This morning, they arrived at the SBMA port in Subic, Zambales with five other crew members
01:57After the BRP Sindangan towed their fishing boat Akio, the PCG denied China Coast Guard's repeated claim it assisted in the rescue operations
02:08In a video posted on X by a China state-owned tabloid, the China Coast Guard reportedly deployed a RIB to assist the fishermen
02:18The PCG called the video propaganda, stating the injured fishermen had already been helped before the CCG arrived
02:48Their intention really is to save the Filipino fishing boat
02:52At that time, they were reenacting so that the video can be panned
03:00They were already inside the BRP Sindangan
03:03The PCG assured the continuous protection of Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea
03:09and the ongoing patrols in Philippine Maritime Territories and Exclusive Economic Zone
03:15This is a clear testament of our intention in supporting and protecting the Filipino fishermen's rights here in the Philippine Sea
