Chinese coast guard shadows Filipino activists sailing toward disputed shoal

By JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Chinese coast guard ships shadowed a group of Filipino activists and fishermen sailing on wooden boats towards 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 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. 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, said an organizer.