00:00Today, we are going to undertake an important mission.
00:12I am going to find out how the fishermen I used to work with
00:17have been doing for the past 6 years in Scarborough Shoal.
00:24One of the territories that is being stolen in the West Philippine Sea.
00:31Riding a big boat, we accompanied the group of Delphine and Captain Romel in their journey in Scarborough Shoal.
00:43It is only 124 nautical miles away from Masinlok, Zambales.
00:49Entering the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ of the Philippines.
00:54We reached the ships and speedboats of the China Coast Guard.
01:02One of the speedboats was approached by our boat.
01:08Their task is to catch new fish.
01:12We have bread. Do you want bread?
01:17What do you want?
01:19Fish.
01:20Fish?
01:21Fish.
01:22In a video captured by Reporters' Notebook,
01:25you can see some Chinese Coast Guard who jumped on the boat of the Philippine fishermen.
01:32They chose and led their speedboats one by one.
01:37Even though they have a grudge against the China Coast Guard, they have nothing to do.
01:43We are here to steal our own sea.
01:47But they are more afraid of the hands of the China Coast Guard
01:52because Mang Delphine was sometimes kidnapped and hurt by foreigners.
01:57I don't want to give it to them because I am afraid of my family.
02:08I almost didn't see anything, sir.
02:11I'm hungry. I'm starving.
02:16We are carrying out a patrol of the People's Department of China.
02:23This is a traditional fishing ground, right?
02:26Six years have passed. Has anything changed in their lives?
02:38Are they free to go fishing in Scarborough?
02:43It's strong. The pressure is strong.
03:08After half an hour of travel, we arrived at San Salvador Island in Masimloc.
03:17At the pier, I saw some familiar faces.
03:22They are the fishermen, Ronnie, Eddie, and Delphine's brother, Ernie.
03:27How are our fellow fishermen?
03:29Some of them are okay, but some of them are sick.
03:33Some of them are sick?
03:34Yes, some of them are sick.
03:36I am also sick, sir. I have a fever.
03:43Ronnie accompanied me to the house of the other fishermen who were with us in Scarborough.
03:50We will visit Delphine first.
03:56But I didn't expect to meet her.
04:05This is Delphine, right?
04:11Do you know her?
04:13Delphine.
04:16The former strong and enthusiastic fisherman we were with.
04:20I will be the one to fish.
04:23I will be the one to fish.
04:28He is now a strong man.
04:30Is that where she lives?
04:32No, she lives in Scarborough.
04:34I will be the one to fish.
04:36Even though it is difficult, Delphine has a desire to speak.
04:41I will be the one to fish.
04:43I will be the one to fish.
04:44Even though it is difficult, Delphine has a desire to speak.
04:47I will be the one to fish.
04:49I will be the one to fish.
04:56Do you remember that? Look at that.
04:59Wow!
05:01That's the first fish.
05:03That's the first fish.
05:05Who is that?
05:07That's you.
05:09You are still strong here.
05:13This is the story of Delphine's husband, Gigi.
05:16In 2020, Delphine had a heart attack.
05:19She went up with her.
05:21When she was about to go down, she suddenly fell down.
05:26She was struck.
05:28That's why she was like that.
05:30I couldn't talk to her.
05:32I thought that she would be gone that day.
05:36Delphine was taken to the Rural Health Unit or RHU.
05:40Delphine's condition was not good.
05:43It was difficult for her to speak.
05:45Her right hand was paralyzed.
05:48And often, her right leg aches.
05:51She couldn't walk.
05:53Since then, Delphine has never returned to Scarborough.
05:58One of the things that Gigi blames for what happened to her husband
06:02are the harassment she experienced in Scarborough Shoal.
06:06I don't want to give it to her.
06:07I don't want to give it to her.
06:09Because of my family.
06:17I barely earned anything, sir.
06:19Here, in Scarborough.
06:21We came here twice.
06:23In Scarborough, I didn't earn anything.
06:25That's why I don't want it.
06:27When was that, sir?
06:29This December.
06:31I was caught here in the league.
06:33I don't want to give it to my wife.
06:35I don't want to give it to my son.
06:37Now, they're harassing me.
06:39This kind of bad experience
06:41was never out of Delphine's mind.
06:44They took her belongings.
06:47Do you still remember that?
06:49Yes, her belongings.
06:51And even if it's just a feeling,
06:54Delphine still wants to return to Scarborough Shoal.
06:59While we were talking, she was crying.
07:05She wants to return to Scarborough Shoal.
07:12Let's go there.
07:14Let's fight.
07:16Let's fight there.
07:22Does she still mention Scarborough Shoal?
07:25Yes, she still mentions it.
07:27What does she say?
07:29She says, it's ours.
07:31Until now?
07:32She also says that she's strong.
07:37Because they can't work,
07:39they rely on the help of their children.
07:42I can't leave her like that.
07:44I want to look for a job, but I can't.
07:46She's pitiful.
07:48If she's like that, she'll get dirty.
07:50I won't ask her for help.
07:55And even if they want Delphine to be treated,
07:58they lack in education.
08:00Thank you, God.
08:02Thank you, God.
08:04Bringing Delphine to the hospital is also a challenge.
08:08She still needs to cross the sea
08:10to reach the village of Candelaria
08:12where the hospital where she can see Delphine is located.
08:16Thank you, God.
08:20It's far.
08:22Before, we don't have our own boat to ride.
08:24We can't ride a big boat.
08:26She can't walk.
08:28It's far.
08:30No.
08:32No.
08:34It's here.
08:36I pray that God will help us.
08:50The next day, we cried.
08:53Delphine is suffering from pain in her right knee and foot.
08:58I can't walk.
09:00I can't walk.
09:02I can't walk.
09:05Sometimes, at night, she cries.
09:07Her foot hurts.
09:09Her hand.
09:11It hurts.
09:13That's why we immediately contacted the health worker of Barangay San Salvador
09:18and the local government of Masindo to help Delphine.
09:24To bring her to the hospital,
09:26she needs to be pulled from a boat.
09:31She can't walk.
09:33She can't walk.
09:35She can't walk.
09:37She can't walk.
09:39She can't walk.
09:41She can't walk.
09:43She can't walk.
09:45She can't walk.
09:47With the help of her youngest son, Deji,
09:49who served as a soldier,
09:50she was able to bring Delphine to the hospital
09:52while a boat was pulling her.
09:55An ambulance was on its way.
10:07She's already suffering from her condition.
10:09The lack of proper roads in their area is even more painful.
10:21But for Delphine's family,
10:23this is their longest-awaited opportunity.
10:33Half an hour later,
10:35we arrived in Pampang.
10:42She was helped to get on a boat.
11:03When we arrived in the town,
11:07Delphine was transferred to an ambulance.
11:16We arrived at the hospital shortly after.
11:21Four years have passed.
11:24Finally, a specialist will examine Delphine.
11:28What will be the result of her condition?
11:31Is there still hope that she will recover?
11:34What we will do is,
11:36I will raise your hand.
11:39No problem.
11:41Try to move it.
11:43There.
11:45Try to move it.
11:47Up, up.
11:48There.
11:49But it's painful, right?
11:51It's painful, right?
12:05While I was on my way to the island of San Salvador,
12:09Ronnie mentioned that
12:11they haven't been able to fish in Scarborough for several months.
12:13They haven't been able to fish in Scarborough for several months.
12:17We were able to catch all the fishermen
12:20at the Palace of China on June 15.
12:22They were afraid of what would happen.
12:25Did they try to catch you?
12:27No, not yet.
12:32The fishermen here at the island of San Salvador,
12:36last June,
12:38were the last to go to Scarborough Shoal to fish.
12:40But since China banned the fishermen from going there,
12:44they stopped going there.
12:46That's why the fishermen are here at the Municipal Waters of Masinok, Zambales.
12:52Let's see what they will catch if they stay here at the Municipal Waters.
13:01While we were on the boat,
13:03we were able to recount our trip to Scarborough Shoal in 2018.
13:07If not, we'll just go home.
13:10Let's go home.
13:23Wow!
13:25It's a catfish.
13:27It's a catfish.
13:29Let's catch it.
13:38Here at the Municipal Waters,
13:40only a limited number of fishermen can go there.
13:44They choose a place where they can fish, like this one.
13:49They need to be able to see the bottom,
13:52because they don't have any equipment.
13:54They don't have an oxygen tank.
13:56So, if they can only breathe,
13:58that's the only place they can go and fish to catch fish.
14:08It's been six years since I joined this group of fishermen.
14:13It's still the same.
14:15Almost nothing has changed.
14:17Look at their equipment.
14:19This is a fishing rod.
14:21This is a fishing pole.
14:23These are their goggles.
14:25They're old.
14:27That's the life of the fishermen here at Masinok, Zambales.
14:37Let's go.
15:08What did you catch?
15:10This is a catfish.
15:12Before, it was a scallop.
15:14Now, it's a catfish.
15:16It's like a dwindle.
15:18It's like a dwindle, sir.
15:20It's very difficult.
15:23If you try to go back to Scarborough,
15:25what will happen to you?
15:27I'm not sure what will happen to me there.
15:29I don't know.
15:31Maybe I'll be caught again.
15:33I don't know what will happen.
15:37I don't know what will happen to me.
15:48An hour has passed.
15:50Ronny has passed out.
15:53It's really difficult.
15:55There are a lot of fish here.
15:57Even if we're using it while we're breathing,
16:00it's really nothing.
16:02If you throw it, it's just a fish.
16:04There are a lot of fish here, sir.
16:07It's not like in the West Philippines.
16:09Yes.
16:11You can catch a lot of fish here.
16:13It's really far.
16:15Can you do it in one hour?
16:17It's a lot, sir.
16:19In one hour, you can probably catch three kilos.
16:22Is this one kilo?
16:24Sir, no.
16:26Do we have one kilo now?
16:28I don't believe it.
16:30The last catch of the day
16:31was caught by a group of fishermen.
16:33The reason why we caught fish
16:36is because China has a border.
16:38That's why some people are afraid.
16:40Of course, they don't want to be imprisoned.
16:42That's why they don't have the courage to go there.
16:45It's painful to think
16:47that our fishermen
16:49won't be able to cross our own territory.
16:52You can see on TV
16:54the boat of our fishermen,
16:56the houseguard and the bivouac,
16:58they're just rowing and making holes.
16:59We're the only ones who can do that.
17:07It's sad,
17:09especially that they're only called to the palace of Malacanang
17:12and helped
17:14a few days after their story was aired in 2018.
17:18It's heavy on your heart,
17:20but you have to accept it
17:22because they have power there.
17:26Malacanang encouraged
17:27the Department of Foreign Affairs
17:30or DFA
17:32to the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines
17:34about what happened to their group,
17:36Captain Romel and Delfin.
17:38Based on the United Nations Convention
17:40on the Law of the Sea
17:42or UNCLOS,
17:44other countries have the freedom of navigation,
17:46have sovereign rights
17:48in all marine resources
17:51or rich seas inside
17:53and outside the Scarborough Shoal.
17:58They were also given boats.
18:00The problem is
18:02they can't afford it.
18:04Why can't they afford it?
18:07Because of many shortcomings.
18:10When we bought this,
18:12we were estimating the cost.
18:14The budget for this
18:16is around Php 100,000.
18:19Where are we going to get that much?
18:22We have to buy food.
18:24It's hard.
18:26Meanwhile,
18:28when Delfin arrived at the hospital,
18:30he was examined immediately.
18:39Let me examine you.
18:41This is the first time
18:43that a neurologist will examine him.
18:47Try to raise your hand.
18:49Raise this.
18:51This is not a problem.
18:52This is not a problem.
18:54This is not a problem.
18:57Is this painful?
18:59Yes, it's painful.
19:04In his stroke,
19:06the left side of his brain was hit.
19:08That's why his speech
19:10is not clear
19:12and it's hard for him to speak.
19:14As a help,
19:16the hospital provided
19:18a few months supply of medicine for Delfin.
19:20He was also allowed to go under the CT scan.
19:22From Candelaria,
19:24Delfin was again invited
19:26to a hospital in Ibazambales
19:28to undergo a CT scan.
19:33Now,
19:35aside from the medicine,
19:37Delfin also needs physical therapy
19:39so that he can gradually move
19:41his right hand and foot.
19:46But in the group of Delfin
19:48that I was with back then,
19:49there's another person
19:51that I haven't found yet.
19:53The captain of a boat,
19:55Rommel Sihuela.
19:59In the group of fishermen
20:01that I was with back then in Scarborough,
20:03there's another person
20:05that I haven't found yet.
20:07The captain of a boat,
20:09Rommel Sihuela.
20:13We followed them to their place.
20:16Here,
20:17I was accompanied by his son,
20:19John Lester.
20:21Before we went to Captain Rommel,
20:23he accompanied me
20:25to the dock of the boats
20:27in their place.
20:29What you can see behind me
20:31is the mother ship
20:33that we took to Scarborough
20:35in two occasions.
20:37It was very sad in 2018
20:39because this is the only one
20:41that was left in the mother ship
20:43because it was abandoned.
20:45But John Lester
20:47has one more bad news.
20:49On June 1, 2022,
20:51my brother-in-law told me
20:53that he felt something in his back.
20:55My mother ran to my house
20:57and was screaming,
20:59my father, go to sleep
21:01because he felt something.
21:09John Lester and I were accompanied
21:11by Captain Rommel.
21:13I was surprised when I found out
21:15that Captain Rommel passed away.
21:18It's a big loss
21:20that he passed away.
21:22Life suddenly changed.
21:24It's really hard.
21:26Delphine, Ronnie,
21:28and Captain Rommel
21:30experienced harassment
21:32while fishing
21:34in the West Philippine Sea.
21:36We, on the other hand, have the right.
21:38This is a traditional fishing ground, right?
21:40They are among those
21:42who fought for this right.
21:44But due to the rising tensions
21:45in Scarborough
21:47and other parts of the West Philippine Sea,
21:49it's hard for them
21:51to fish here.
21:53Sadly,
21:55while they were hoping
21:57to return to Scarborough,
21:59Delphine became a victim
22:01and Captain Rommel killed her.
22:08Before we left the island,
22:10we said goodbye to Delphine.
22:13You'll get better.
22:15Huh?
22:17You'll get better. We'll go back to Scarborough.
22:22You can do it.
22:24You can do it.
22:30You'll get better.
22:32We'll go back to Scarborough.
22:34Let's go back.
22:36Let's go back.
22:38We'll go back there.
22:43Watch out for the next Saturday.
22:46This was the Mischief Reef
22:48before it became
22:50a military base of China.
22:54To create those artificial islands,
22:57they had to get the corals
22:59along the side.
23:03About 17 coral reefs,
23:05equivalent to how many Tubbataha reefs?
23:07Yes, it's about 8.
23:09About 8 Tubbataha reefs
23:10equivalent to how many Tubbataha reefs?
23:13Let's not be afraid.
23:15Let's not give up.
23:17Let's not give up.
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